Operation Formosa
by F4llon
Summary: A death of a petty officer onboard USS Arlington involve Gibbs' team and discover NCIS agents undercover. Vance reads the team in on Operation Formosa, the Colombian Cartel who killed Agent Greg Smith and his daughter. When Agent Nassir returns home, the LA team work against the clock to find him and his wife who've been kidnapped. Sequel to Lost Too Much.
1. Chapter 1

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_A/N: Sequel to my NCISLA story, 'Lost Too Much'. Starring Agent Nassir (NCISLA episodes: Found, Exit Strategy and Rude Awakenings part 2) played by Tom Winter. He'll be the common thread between NCIS and NCISLA._

**Chapter 1**

Leon Vance rubbed his hand over his face as he looked at the files in front of him. This latest operation for his people had been a bad one. Usually cases such as this one would have been dealt with by the DEA, but with the problem entering US Naval ships, Sarah Porter had urged him to put his own people undercover and flush the criminals out until they found the man at the top.

Four months of NCIS agents in deep cover, good men who had families waiting for them at home, had their lives placed on hold. A well known and feared Columbian crime family, the Formosa Cartel, had managed to devise an extremely complex system to cart cocaine onto their naval ships and then pushed it across the east coast of America. Their drugs were killing and depending thousands of young people, destroying not only their lives, but that of their families. There had to be people at the ports at each end as well as on board the ships. There was no doubt, their people were involved. Leon sighed, they had no choice but to risk the lives of so many of his agents for the operation to shut this cartel down.

Leon knew that they were getting close to finding the proof they needed to make the arrests. His men were tired but so far no one had been burned, a fact which he was thankful for. They all were well experienced in going deep undercover and he had personally handpicked them from offices around the country. He looked up when his team leader for his local team entered the room.

"Gibbs." He closed the files on his desk and waited for the former marine sniper to talk to him on his current case. A dead Naval Petty Officer on the USS Arlington.

"Leon, we need to talk." Gibbs sat down in the black leather chair opposite him.

Leon raised his brow in anticipation of what was on his lead's mind. He knew it was important, otherwise Gibbs' wouldn't be there wasting his time.

"This case is far bigger than a dead naval officer, Leon. We've interviewed the crew and I found one of our own men onboard undercover. Why do we have NCIS Agent Michael Nassir on board as a Master Chief Petty Officer? And some background search on some other crew members tell me that he's not the only agent onboard." Gibbs remained his gaze on his boss. He knew that there was something big going on which he dread would hamper his own investigation.

Leon sighed, as Gibbs continued to hold his ground.

"It's a need to know case, Gibbs, and I suppose you are now in that position of needed to know." Leon passed the files on his desk over to him.

"Everything you need to know about Operation Formosa."

Gibbs raised his brow at the title of the operation.

"You've got men undercover to deal with the Formosa Cartel?" Gibbs' furrowed his brow, his worry returned.

"Look, Gibbs. I know you lost a good friend when our agency last dealt with this cartel, but the DEA need our help on this. Our ships are being used to import the drugs into our borders. Too many young people are dying or have had their lives ruined from their dependance on this combination of cocaine. It's highly addictive and more lethal than any other form of cocaine that we've ever seen in this country. We need to stop this now before another family have to bury their son or daughter from this drug.

Gibbs' fear for the agents undercover in this operation grew within him. But he understood the pressure placed on the Director. Gibbs scanned the intel as he flipped over to the next page.

"This is a lot of deaths from the drug, Leon." He shook his head and realised just how serious this problem was.

"This will help us find Petty Officer 1st class, Phillip Cromwell's murderer. These are all the suspects found onboard USS Arlington?"

"So far. We're close to making arrests, but now that we have a death of a Petty Officer on one of the naval vessels under investigation, we need to act fast. We need this ship back out at sea as soon as possible, without the arousal of suspicion for these suspects that we are on to them." Leon advised him, not happy with the situation at all.

"You cannot be serious, Leon. We need to complete this investigation without the pressure of this added onto it. What if the murderer is one on your list of suspects? Now that I know about this ongoing operation, it's most probably going to be one of these men," he held the file in his hand waving it at Leon, "whose guilty of killing Cromwell."

Leon met Gibbs' blue eyes and he knew the man was right.

"That's what I'm afraid of." He admitted.

"Interview these men again, but include the men that you suspect as being undercover as well. We cannot arouse suspicion."

Leon regarded Gibbs, "make your arrest quietly. I need our men home soon with this problem is gone."

He'd had an ear full already that morning for Sarah Porter, their SecNav. Her patience was running thin over another five youths' deaths this last weekend alone.

"Okay, Leon."

Gibbs left at full force, eager to prove that one of these suspects were the guilty murderer. He ran down the stairs and threw the file over at Ellie Bishop.

"Read this file, then pass it on to DiNozzo and McGee when they return to their desks. No one is to talk about what is written in these files."

Ellie nodded her head and started to read them. Her mind raced at fast speeds as her brain processed the intel inside them. Her synapses placed important data in various files of her brain, ready for her to analyse and relate it to their current case. It had been a huge experience for her to go onboard the USS Arlington, her first visit onto a naval ship. It was a mass of mazes underneath and she wondered how anyone ever got their jobs done. She was sure she would spend most of her time working out where she had to go.

After going through the files, she went back to their notes on the case at hand with the dead Petty Officer, Phillip Cromwell. She looked at his known associates and crossed matched them with any of the suspects from the file. Five of the suspects worked alongside, one shared a cabin with. She furrowed her dark brows, twisting her blonde hair through her fingers as her eyes came to another name not on either list. Her background check of this Petter Officer came back sketchy.

"Hey, Gibbs!"

Gibbs looked up at Bishop, not surprised she had finished reading the files.

"What about Petter Officer, Zachary Wallace?" Ellie handed him his photo.

"His background is sketchy,"

"We'll bring him in for further questions." Gibbs stood to find some decent coffee.

"Did you find any of the names in the file against the men in Cromwell's list of associates?"

Bishop nodded.

"Five of them."

"Bring them all in, plus anyone else with a sketchy background." He left for the elevator as Tony and McGee arrived.

"Boss!" Both men looked over to Ellie, wondering where their boss was heading.

"Coffee." Tony and McGee nodded in agreement. Neither wanted to deal with their boss when he was in the need for coffee. She threw the files at Tony.

"For our eyes only. Not to talk about what's inside." She locked her hazel eyes on them, with the directive order from Gibbs.

Tony paused as he held the files in his hand, his eyes darting over to McGee from the seriousness of what Bishop had told them. He slid behind his desk and poured over the information spread out before him. There had been many occasions where he was in a similar situation to this one. He eyed Bishop as she made some phone calls. He was a curious creature and wondered what it was that she had found inside the files. He returned his attention to the photos and names and then at the informations from their current case. There would be no brownie points from the boss on this case with Bishop being ten steps ahead of him and McGee already. An email alert came up on his screen from Bishop. He looked over to McGee and saw he was curious as well. They both opened it, telling them the details she had found already.

"Hurry up with those files, Tony," McGee called over, "I've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Yeah, sure." Tony, returned his focus and sped through the intel.

"Here you go."

He stood over McGee with a serious look about his face, which told him that whatever was inside those files was pretty big.

"Thanks."

McGee poured over the information, getting himself up to speed before their boss returned. By the time he finished, numerous visitors arrived on their floor; JAG lawyers with the Petty Officers and Master Petty Officers from the USS Arlington.

Gibbs walked through the crowd and led them to the interrogation rooms. The place was crowded with others waiting in the conference room. They had to work fast to get through their rounds of questionings before they could allow any of them to leave.

Leon Vance stood behind the one way mirror and watched Gibbs and his team at work in two interrogation rooms. Gibbs and Bishop in one, Tony and McGee in the other. His nerves were on tender hooks, but was pleased that he questioned the suspects from his ongoing operation first and the undercover agents last. They sat in the conference room waiting their turn. It was strange seeing them all in the office, neither agent knew the other for their part in the operation. They only dealt with their handler to feed intel back to them, helping them keep their aliases intact. But he wondered if any had suspected the other to be undercover like themselves. He refocused on the men inside the interrogation rooms at present. They had enough rooms to keep each of the five suspects Bishop had matched in with the dead Petty Officer, which he was pleased with. Sometimes it became a little too crazy down there.

Two down and another three to go. Gibbs and his team weren't convinced that either suspects interviewed so far were guilty of his death. Gibbs sat opposite Petty Officer Shaun O'Leary. His whole demeanour had Gibbs interested as soon as he was brought into the room. Gibbs kept his focus on the man before him and waited patiently for him to settle before asking him any questions. The USS Arlington was preparing to leave for South America on the following day, time was tight on the questioning.

"How was your working relationship with Petter Officer 1st class, Phillip Cromwell?" Gibbs went straight to the point.

"We didn't have one." O'Leary replied sharply. "He was a pain in the ass."

Ellie Bishop rested her body in the corner of the room, unnoticed by O'Leary. She studied his whole body language and facial expressions as he listened and then answered Gibbs's questions. If he wasn't their guilty suspect, then she was sure he was very much behind it. His hatred for Cromwell was evident as he sat beside his JAG lawyer. He wasn't nervous, more cocky than anything else, she noted.

"Where were you at o'five hundred this morning?" Gibbs questioned him again.

"Asleep in my cabin," he met Gibbs' stare with his green eyes, "you can ask my bunk mates."

"One of your bunk mates is dead." Gibbs raised his voice. "Did you follow him?"

"I'm not a stalker." O'Leary replied curtly.

"Perhaps he was following you?" Ellie Bishop moved forward, bringing herself out of the shadows of the corner.

"Got something to hide, O'Leary?" She leaned over the table beside Gibbs and knitted her brows together as her face tightened from annoyance over O'Leary's cockiness.

"Oh a wild cat. Where have you been hiding, sweetheart?" There was a level of amusement in O'Leary's voice as he hinted a smile in her direction.

"Answer the question." Bishop growled, unmoving from her position. Her voice remained firm, proving to him that she was no push over.

O'Leary leaned back into his chair and looked at his lawyer.

"I'm not talking anymore."

Gibbs fisted his hands on the table annoyed over the games O'Leary played with them. He was cocky and sure of himself, but he refused to co-operate with them. He was looking guilty, if not the murderer, he knew who had killed Cromwell. He stood and exited the room finding Vance in the small room between the two interrogation rooms they were using.

"He knows something, Gibbs." Vance turned and faced him. "Along with DiNozzo's friend." He nodded to the other one way glass, where Tony and McGee questioned Petty Officer, Glendon Cary. "Both have been cocky from the moment they entered the room and closed up shop when it came to the punch about the dead Petty Officer."

"Cut them loose. We'll see if any of the others we've brought in for questioning can give light on the situation."

Gibbs looked between both suspects and knew he had the murderer in his grasps. But without evidence or being able to use the information provided from 'Operation Formosa,' he had nothing to hold them on. He turned to face Vance.

"We'll have them followed to keep an eye on them. We need to talk to the others but without the JAG lawyers. They've sat in with our suspects, if we're to get anywhere with this case, we need the others to spill on what they know about O'Leary and Cary."

"Okay, Gibbs." Leon nodded.

"Just remember, the USS Arlington leaves port at o'eight hundred tomorrow morning."

"Then my team and I have a lot of work to do." Gibbs left, looking for Abby.

"Hey, Gibbs." She hugged her boss firmly.

"You look like you could do with some good news."

He looked over at the goth and smiled.

"What you got, Abs?"

"That's better." She turned in her high heeled black leather boots and brought up forensics on her screen.

"Petty Officer Cromwell had a run in with two attackers, Gibbs. I've managed to pull off finger prints from Cromwell's uniform and DNA from under his skin. Our suspects are dumber than dumb. It wasn't planned, Cromwell was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Probably saw something he wasn't suppose to see." She typed away and brought up two suspect photos up on her screen.

Gibbs furrowed his brow as he moved in closer. He turned his head around and looked at Abby.

"Are you sure they were his attackers? Could these be from someone trying to help him?"

Abby frowned.

"What is it, Gibbs?"

She typed away on her keyboard and brought the evidence up on the screen.

"Both suspects should have scratch marks on their skin. Cromwell put up a fight before he died."

Gibbs ran from the lab and bolted along the corridor to the front of the building in hope to find the men he was sure were behind Cromwell's death, before they left the building. He managed to catch up with them in reception. He pulled their sleeves up and were annoyed that neither man had scratches on their arms, torso or faces. Any area Cromwell would have fought back. These men were not their suspects.

"You're both free to go."

O'Leary and Cary laughed as they left the Navy Yard and headed back to their ship.

"What was that all about, boss?" Gibbs turned and found DiNozzo watching him from near the elevator.

"Abby said that Cromwell was killed by two attackers. They would have scratches on them, but the DNA and fingerprints found on the victim do not match up with either of them."

He was annoyed, his gut told him that both men were guilty. Guilty of what though? Perhaps he was allowing his knowledge of Vance's operation and his personal history to the cartel to cloud his judgements. Why did he feel that they had killed him together? He stood in the elevator with Tony, mulling over the information. The elevator doors opened, allowing Gibbs to head towards the conference room. Tony followed closely behind, indicating to McGee and Bishop who had returned to their desks to follow suit.

The team followed their leader up the stairs towards the conference room. Gibbs bust the door open to the unsuspecting men inside.

"I want you all to roll up your sleeves and unbutton your shirts. If you have a T-shirt on underneath, I want it removed."

All the men looked worryingly at each other before obeying. Agent Nassir was the first to strip off his naval shirt and T-shirt, showing off his toned body. Gibbs nodded to him and told him to put his clothes back on. Gibbs stood behind the two men whose names came up on Abby's DNA checks and fingerprints. The names that came up on the screen didn't match their Petty Officer names on their uniform. They were NCIS agents and they had a lot of explaining to do.

"The rest of you can go back to your ship." He looked at the men before him. "You two come with me."

He led them downstairs along with his team, Bishop and McGee were out of the loop from the latest information that Abby had told him.

Vance watched on from the small room between the two interrogation rooms where NCIS Agents, Bradley Wilson and Harry Chambers, sat. Gibbs began with Wilson, unsure where to start, knowing now that like Agent Nassir, they were NCIS agents.

"Petty Officer Peter Clark." He began. He paced the room before sitting in the chair opposite him.

"Or should I call you NCIS Agent Bradley Wilson?" He caught Wilson's attention immediately.

"Agent Wilson will do, sir."

Gibbs hated moments like this, where one of their own came into question.

"Agent Wilson. Will you please explain the scratches on your arms?"

Gibbs waited patiently for him to answer. Surprisingly, he didn't have to wait long.

"I was attacked, sir."

Wilson remained in an upright position in his chair, both hands clasped on the table. He had nothing to hide.

"You were attacked? By whom?"

Gibbs sat back, observing the agent before him.

"By Petty Officer Phillip Cromwell, sir."

Blue met blue, when Wilson and Gibbs looked at each other.

"I need to speak with Director Vance,"

Vance entered the room.

"I am here, Agent Wilson. Agent Gibbs and his team have been read into Operation Formosa. You may continue."

Wilson nodded and took a sip of water from the glass that sat on the table.

"I was following two suspects for the past four months, Petty Officers O'Leary and Cary. They were cocky but hard to catch in the act. I needed evidence of them being involved with bringing the drugs into the country. Cromwell found me following them and attacked me. He caught me off guard and knocked me out. The next thing I knew was that Chambers was taking me to sickbay. I have no memory of anything else that went down, Sir."

Gibbs looked over to Vance and knew he needed confirmation from NCIS Agent Chambers over this story. He stood and left the room, walking 12 metres to another door. He entered and found Tony asking him questions. Agent Chambers looked as innocent as Wilson. It was a set up and his gut instinct over O'Leary and Cary came flooding back. Tony moved for him to sit down.

"Tell me what happened at o'five hundred this morning." As far as the intel gathered from Vance's agents on this operation, Cromwell's name hadn't come into it at all.

"I heard a scuffle outside my cabin and found Petty Officer Clark being tackled by Petty Officer Cromwell, Sir. I fought him off, but Clark hit his head hard on the metal pipe, knocking him unconscious. Cromwell pulled out a gun, he caught me by surprise and he was about to shoot Clark and myself. I had no choice but to defend us. I managed to pull the gun off Cromwell, but he lunged at me and I fired in reaction."

Chambers lowered his head, in shame. He hadn't wanted to kill the officer, only injure him, so he could get help. He looked back up and looked straight at Gibbs.

"I needed to get Clark to sickbay, urgently."

"Why didn't you come forward earlier with your defence?" Gibbs was pleased to have found the solution to their case, but it wasn't the one he had wanted.

"I couldn't, Sir. It would have risked me breaking cover. Four months of my hard work gone." Gibbs nodded in understanding.

"You share a cabin with Petty Officer Cary, correct?" Chambers nodded.

"I never liked him. I saw him leave about five minutes before I head the commotion outside. I was expecting it to be him with O'Leary, the two were tight. I never expected to find Cromwell attacking Clark."

Gibbs looked through the mirror before continuing.

"Petty Officer Clark told us that you helped him after Cromwell attacked him. Do you know Clark?" He studied him carefully.

Chambers nodded.

"We were in the marines together, years ago. When we found ourselves both undercover on the same ship, we knew it was important to keep ourselves apart. We never talked. This morning was the first time I made contact with Wilson." His use of Agent Wilson's real name proved that they two agents knew each other.

"Agent Wilson told us that he was following O'Leary and Cary when Cromwell attacked him. Did you know that O'Leary and Cary were suspected being involved in the drug trafficking on board?" Gibbs continued his questioning.

Cromwell nodded.

"I knew. But I kept my distance when I knew that Wilson was dealing with them. I had my own fish to fry. But now I believe Cromwell was working with them. Why else would he've attacked Wilson for following the others?" It was the only thing that made sense to Chambers over the attack.

"It may be too dangerous for you and Wilson to return to USS Arlington, Agent Chambers. Both of your identities may have been burned. We need to keep you here." Gibbs began, when Vance entered.

"They need to go back, Gibbs. We need them to finish the job." Vance reiterated their earlier conversation.

"We can place them under arrest for the murder of Petty Officer Cromwell, and allow the other agents onboard to finish the job. Have their handler tell them the identities of the other agents and allow them to finish this. But it's too dangerous for Wilson and Chambers to return." Gibbs hated it when he and Vance head butted on a case, but their lives were more important.

Vance stood and thought over what Gibbs' proposed.

"It could be too risky to allow the agents to know about the others. If any of the suspects pick up on changes in our agents, they too could be in danger."

"Tell them the risks and who they have on board to back them up. We were fortunate that Wilson and Chambers knew each other. We could have had two dead agents on our hands if they hadn't known that they had the other for support." Gibbs left the interrogation room and headed for the mortuary. He needed to talk to Ducky over this case. It was getting to him more than normal. Worry for the other agents on this case grew within him. He could see the toll of the past four months in Vance and the agents' eyes, when he entered the conference room earlier.


	2. Chapter 2

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 2**

The other agents returned to the USS Arlington to finish the operation that they had been working on, for the past four months. Agent Nassir saw the sadness in Agent Gibbs' eyes when he entered the conference room. He knew that there were other agents involved in the case that he was working on, but he had no idea of their identity. He wondered if the men Gibbs had taken to interrogation were NCIS agents. As he entered his cabin he found his handler sitting on his bed. He hadn't seen him in three weeks, he was surprised to see him.

"Jack, what are you doing here?" His eyes reflected the sadness over what had transpired earlier that morning, but seeing his handler pulled him out of it.

"The risks have soared, my friend. I'm told to tell you who else on this ship is here for your backup. We almost lost two agents this morning." Jack's grey eyes bore the concern for Michael.

"Cromwell attacked one of our own, another agent killed him to save the other agent and himself. Director Vance thinks it's too risky for you to not know the identities of the others for this case, Mick."

"Cromwell was in on this?" He hadn't suspected Cromwell. His suspects were higher up the chain, Ensign Roger Davies and Lieutenant Lewis Jackson.

"It looks that way. Cromwell attacked one of our own, who were following his suspects, O'Leary and Cary. You know them?" Jack stood, ready to leave. It was always important to keep his visits short.

"Yes I do. You want me to watch them?" Jack nodded.

"Be careful." He left Nassir and headed upstairs to his office. He was the onboard NCIS agent who was delivering information between Director Vance and the agents on board. He knew the ship like the back of his hand, moving about undetectable was a breeze. But even as he walked up a couple of flights of stairs and down some corridors, towards his office, he felt eyes watching him. Fear for all of them grew within Jack's gut. He needed to call Vance fast. They all needed to get out of there ASAP.

_**Navy Yard**_

Ellie Bishop poured over the notes from their now closed case. With the USS Arlington leaving port in ten hours time, they had no cause to return to the ship and help the undercover agents onboard. O'Leary and Cary were too cocky for their liking. Even Gibbs appeared to be on edge from it all. She was aware that Gibbs knew one of the agents onboard, but the rest were strangers. Yet, he treated them all as one of their own. But today, Gibbs was more curt than normal in his approach with his team. His frustrations were vented onto all of them around him. They understood the reasons behind it and really wanted to help. Abby had filled her into what happened over a year ago, with Gibbs' friend and daughter. Gibbs' behaviour made perfect sense to her. She picked up her laptop and files and left their open office for a quiet room. She found one vacant and slipped inside. She needed to focus to find what it was that had been niggling at her since the beginning of this case. Vance had stressed that this case was now closed for them, but it never was when more agents were in danger.

Timothy McGee entered Abby's lab and wasn't surprised to find Tony down there.

"You too?" He raised his brow in question.

Tony nodded.

"I love the boss, but I can't think with all that negative energy pouring out of him."

"Well then you can make yourselves useful, if you're going to hang out down here. At least then if Gibbs finds you down here, you are seen to be doing something productive."

Both agents nodded and followed Abby's directive. She handed them a laptop each.

"We're tapping into USS Arlington's security system, for starters." She looked at McGee.

"If we can't be on board to help our men stay safe, we can at least be another set of eyes to help warn them."

McGee nodded and set to work to break through the firewalls of the naval ship's security system. Abby cleaned up behind McGee's breaking in, so they couldn't be traced.

"What do you want me to do, Abs?" Tony watched on amazed at how swift Abby and McGee worked together.

"Tell me again why the two of you never worked out as a couple?"

Two sets of eyes pierced through his soul as embarrassment and something Tony couldn't quite get his finger on from Abby, displayed on their faces.

"Shut up, Tony." McGee replied.

"Don't ever mention our history around Delilah. It's hard enough having her working abroad and only getting to see her once in a while."

"I don't mean to offend either of you," Tony tried to reason, "if you could just see what I see," their eyes glared intently at him again, "how the two of you seamlessly work together without even talking, like you're mind reading or something. It's beautiful. Like two souls who were meant to be together." Tony grinned from ear to ear, satisfied he had managed to tell them what he thought.

Abby punched Tony in the upper arm, causing pain to shoot through him.

"Ouch! What's that for?"

"Shut up, Tony." Abby glared at him once more before turning around and refocusing on her job. Her face had flushed to a red colour from embarrassment. The truth was that she had been jealous of McGee and Delilah at the beginning, that was before she got to know the DEA analyst. Now she was really happy for McGee and she had stopped ever hoping for them to get back together again. They were good friends, best friends, and worked well together.

"I'm only speaking the truth." Tony continued to defend himself. His words now fell on deaf ears as Abby and McGee focused on the job at hand. He succumbed to their silence and decided to join them.

"What do you want me to do, Abs?"

His change of tactics rewarded him with a smile from the goth Forensic Scientist. She walked over to him and brought up a site and broke through the password and secured site.

"Here." She pointed to the files.

"Copy everything you can onto this thumb drive. We need everything you can find on the Formosa Cartel. We can get Ellie to analyse the data," Abby looked behind Tony, "she's not coming too?"

Abby was used to Ziva following the boys down to her lab, when hiding out from upstairs.

"She's gone awol." Tony shrugged.

"Couldn't hack Gibbs, so she took her laptop and files and hid herself away in a room somewhere. I don't blame her. I wish I could do that sometimes,"

"You'd miss us." Abby butted in.

"You'd go stir crazy not having us to talk to, like you are doing now." She pointed to the laptop.

"Focus, Tony."

Tony nodded and returned his focus on his task.

Gibbs looked around him and realised he was alone in their bull pen. He looked at his watch and realised that it was late and he thought they had gone home. But evidence of their bags and coats proved otherwise. He narrowed his eyes as he looked around. Other staff in their office had gone home for the night, but Vance remained upstairs, undisturbed. He heard a noise from above and followed the Director's footsteps with his eyes as he left his office for MTAC. The undercover operation 'Formosa' had hit a nerve with him and something hadn't settled inside his gut about O'Leary and Cary. After the confession from their agents, Wilson and Chambers, he worried over Nassir and the other agents onboard not only the USS Arlington, but every other ship involved in this operation.

He knew how violent the cartel were, after one survivor of the cartel from their agency's previous operation led to the death in a park of his friend and colleague, Special Agent Greg Smith, and his ten year old daughter, Carrie. He decided to bite the bullet and ran up the stairs. He scanned his blue irises and let himself inside MTAC. He was quiet as he entered, hoping for Vance not to detect his arrival. He slid into a chair at the rear and listened into the Director's conversation with their onboard NCIS agent.

"Are you sure that you were being followed, Agent Stevens?" Jack Stevens nodded his head.

"From Agent Nassir's cabin to here, Sir. It's no longer safe for any of us to be onboard. Request to abort this operation before another threat be placed on any more of our agents, Sir."

"I will need approval from the SecNav, Agent Stevens. We still have nine hours before your ship leaves port. Be careful in the meantime. Stay clear of all agents on board."

Vance's brown eyes looked worried when he turned around and found Gibbs sitting there.

"Gibbs, what are you doing in here?"

Gibbs stood and pointed to the screen.

"Agent Stevens is right. O'Leary and Cary are onto our agents, Leon. They're too cocky, they know something far more than the job that they're being paid to do by the Formosa Cartel. It wouldn't take much for any of the suspects on this list to follow any of our people onboard this ship or any others involved in this operation and we then lose twenty-five men. Twenty-five, Leon. That's a hell of a lot of agents to lose in one operation. Five men on five ships, let alone our assigned agents to each ship. How long would it take for news to spread from the USS Arlington to the USS Winston Churchill?" He'd seen the list of ships in the files and knew that each ship under surveillance ported in Norfolk.

"Not long," Leon agreed.

"Not long with the level of suspects on each of these ships going as far up the ladder as Lieutenant. If it was only Petty Officers, we might have been able to of contained the situation on USS Arlington."

He took a few steps towards the door, before turning back.

"I'm acting as fast as I can on this one, Gibbs. Have your team ready, just in case we need you to get our men out."

Gibbs nodded and pondered for a moment before he went in search for his team. He guessed that Bishop would be hidden away somewhere focussing on something and that the boys would be with Abby. At least they were all very predictable on where to find them in this building. He tested doors along the way. If they were locked, he knocked and waited for an answer. If they were unlocked, he opened and peeped inside. It had to be the last room she'd pick, Gibbs sighed.

Gibbs gently knocked on the door and turned the handle. Ellie Bishop sat on the floor with her laptop on her lap, surrounded by files. He smiled when he noticed what it was that she was working on, Operation 'Formosa.' She had his back and he was impressed by how quickly Bishop had slotted into the team.

"Found anything?"

Ellie looked up with full concentration expressed on her face and in her hazel eyes. Her dark brows remained knitted together as she analysed the data in front of her.

"I think so."

She pried herself from the floor, and moved the laptop and files onto the table, which she had pushed into the corner.

"Here."

She urged Gibbs to sit down and then went through with him what she had concluded.

"O'Leary and Cary, have a history of getting into trouble on the USS Winston Churchill, USS Stout, USS Normandy and the USS Gravely, all ships involved in the investigation on drug smuggling. Both Petty Officers were moved to the other ships together by their overseeing Lieutenants. They all have to be involved in this. This is all a ruse, Gibbs. O'Leary and Cary are being paid to look like trouble, but what they are really doing is moving easily between all the ships that the Formosa Cartel are using for drug smuggling. Intel between each ship is easily maintained through these two Petty Officers. During their time on each ship, they succumb other Petty Officers to the Cartel and that is why Cromwell wasn't on our agents' list. He's a new recruit. They should have been separated or placed in the brig, not sent together to another ship."

Anger bubbled below the surface, while Gibbs listened intently to Bishop's findings.

"Good work, Bishop. Let's find Tony and McGee and sort these goons out for good."

Ellie scrambled the files together and grabbed her laptop into her arms and followed Gibbs to the elevator.

Gibbs allowed her to enter first, before pressing the button for the basement. As the doors pinged open, he could hear Tony's chatter from the lab. He and Bishop were swift in their movement and observed the three of them involved in their own research for operation 'Formosa'. Gibbs smiled, proud of his team.

"What you got, Abs?" His voice caught the three of them off guard making them jump, with Tony rushing to voice his defence in being down there.

"Ah, hi boss. We're just helping Abs break into the Formosa Cartel and the USS Arlington's security systems."

He gave Gibbs a nervous smile, waiting for their boss to node in approval. He relaxed when Gibbs smiled at them.

"Gibbs," Abby pulled him over,

"McGee and I have tapped into the security cameras on board of the USS Arlington. You've got to see this." She showed Agent Jack Stevens leave Agent Nassir's cabin and O'Leary and Cary following him.

Gibbs nodded.

"We've got to get them out of there. Contact Stevens and tell him to stay locked in his office." He instructed Abby, as he bolted out of the lab in a rescue attempt to Vance's office. As he waited for the elevator doors to open, he shouted back to them.

"Gear up."

Bishop, McGee and Tony followed their boss, pleased to be doing something to help their men onboard the USS Arlington.

Gibbs barged through the doors into Director Vance's office. He stopped midway when he saw the grim look on his face. His cell rang and he saw that it was Abby. He pressed to answer and his face fell when he heard her voice.

"Gibbs, Agent Stevens has been stabbed. I just saw it, we've got to get our men out of there."

Gibbs pressed his cell on speaker, so Vance could hear Abby's frantic call. Leon picked up his phone and dialled.

"Go." He told Gibbs.

Gibbs put his phone to his ear.

"Thanks, Abs. Let the Captain know, and call for paramedics. We're on our way. Was it O'Leary and Cary?"

"Yes it was, Gibbs. Hurry!" She watched on in horror as the two Petty Officers continued to stab Agent Jack Stevens until his body went limp and his eyes stared out into space. They would be too late. She quickly dialled the Bridge on the USS Arlington and set off an emergency alarm on the ship.

"NCIS Agent Jack Stevens has been stabbed. His body's been moved back inside his office."

"Who is this?" A stern voice on the other end of the call asked her.

"I am calling on behalf of Director Vance. Please hurry."

She hung up and watched in disbelief as O'Leary and Cary moved swiftly through the various levels of the ship, in search for the undercover agents.

Agent Nassir knew when he heard he emergency alarm that trouble was on its way. He quickly moved to the stern of the ship, heading upwards using the ladder in a different corridor to his cabin. It was in a closed in area only used for emergencies and this was definitely an emergency. His life depended on him reaching the top and getting off this ship.

Abby waited with bated breath as she watched on as O'Leary and Cary headed towards Agent Nassir's cabin which he shared with O'Leary. Relief spread across her face as she realised that Nassir had left his cabin amidst all the confusion over what had happened to Jack. She prayed that all the other agents had done the same.

Leon Vance entered Abby's lab with grief visible in his eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Scuito for looking out for our people. Unfortunately, Agent Stevens couldn't be revived."

Tears welled up in Abby's green eyes, as she tried to rein in her emotions.

"But I couldn't save him."

Leon stepped closer and made her look at him.

"You tried to help him. We had warned him of the risks. He knew they were out there. We will get O'Leary and Cary and bring justice for Stevens. The emergency alarm would have given the other agents warning to escape." Leon sighed.

"Bring up the camera feeds for the ladders from the cabin levels and upwards."

Abby moved around on her keyboards, striking commands and soon enough she could see Agent Nassir climbing upwards near the stern of the ship.

"How far away is he from O'Leary and Cary?"

"Three floors and counting. They've gone in search for the other two remaining agents. With Wilson and Chambers out of there, there was only three undercover agents and Stevens left on board." She continued her search and found Agents Johns and Brown near the bow of the ship, doing the same as Nassir.

"All three are almost to the deck."

"Close all exits of the ship once they've made it through to the deck. We cannot allow any of our suspects to escape. How far out is Gibbs and his team?"

"Two minutes out."

Abby pulled up security camera feeds of the port where the USS Arlington was docked. Next to the Arlington stood the USS Winston Churchill and the USS Stout.

"Can you break into the other two ship camera feeds too?" Abby nodded. She moved over to the laptop McGee had been working on and brought up the Churchill, and Stout on the one Tony had been using. She removed the thumb drive and handed it over to the Director.

"Tony managed to copy data from the Formosa Cartel. I think that all the intel you need to bring these crooks down is on here."

"Thank you, Miss Scuito. I should have asked you and Agent McGee four months ago and could have saved a lot of man hours." Abby gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to the other two ships and the Arlington.

"There. Agent Nassir has made it on deck, Director."

Abby moved her view to the cameras at the front of the ship and noticed that the other two agents had also made it out onto deck. It was dark, but she knew it was them.

"Locking all doors and hatches to the Arlington now."

"Thank you, Miss Scuito. How's the Winston Churchill and Stout doing?"

Leon moved closer and watched NCIS Agents receive contact to leave their ship. Finally word had come through from their handlers to abort the mission.

"They're leaving." He watched on as the five undercover and one assigned NCIS agent from both ships make their way up through the portal ladders onto deck. Each man looked at each other hesitant until their handler nodded to them all and only then did they realise that they were all on the same side.

Abby and Vance breathed out a sigh of relief as their people left their assigned ships and communed with Gibbs as they arrived on the scene. Agents Nassir, Johns and Brown ran over and only then did Gibbs fill them in on what happened to Agent Jack Stevens. Nassir, Johns and Brown remained quiet, as they dealt with the news of a man who had been their only life line to the agency over the past four months.

"We'll get you all back to the office where you'll be debriefed. The DEA and NCIS agents will be here in a moment to search out every suspect on your lists to bring them in for arrest. We have all that we need. We have to wait another five days for USS Normandy and Gravely to arrive back in port. Word has been sent through to them about the situation." Gibbs informed them. Before he had completed his update to the agents involved with operation 'Formosa', trucks with armed NCIS and DEA agents arrived and swarmed the three ships. A bus arrived and transported the agents back to the office, ready for a debrief and a flight home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 3**

_**NCIS Office, The Navy Yard**_

The debrief for Operation Formosa went longer than Leon had anticipated. But with the urgency of ending the operation short of making arrests once all contacts on the five ships and the ports at Norfolk and Cartegena, had brought along further implications. Leon prayed that all men involved in transporting the cocaine into the States were on their list of suspects. He needed to prevent a repeat of what happened to Agent Smith and his daughter, twenty months earlier.

Finally, after four hours of intense debriefing which went on into the night, he was able to release his agents and allow them passage home. Many of these agents had been away for more than four months, with previous undercover operations that had taken them away from their families. They all deserved to head home and rest and spend precious time with their families. Some had young children who would struggle to remember their dad, after the length of time they'd spent away. Agent Michael Nassir was one of those agents. Over the past year, he'd spent very few weeks at home, many of those visits were short and sporadic. He looked inside Agent Nassir's personal file and made a mental note to make sure he didn't travel away from home or go on any undercover operations in the next two years. He was a good man and his wife, Melissa, had been patient and understanding enough. She deserved to have her man home, to share their lives together with their two young children, five year old, Ella and one year old, Thomas. The boy wouldn't even recognise his daddy, which tore at the Director's conscience. He knew better than any how precious family time was, especially after the loss of his beautiful wife, Jackie. Now he was a single father raising his two children with the help of his family.

Agent Nassir laid down on Gibbs' sofa and nodded off to sleep. It was three in the morning before he arrived at the older man's house, but he was desperate for some sleep. Gibbs always had an open door policy for any of his friends and he had in the past slept on the same sofa. He was desperate to fly home and see his family as he'd missed them so much over the past four months. He hated being so far away from them. The last year had been tough of them all since Thomas had been born. He'd even missed his first birthday. It had been hard, but he'd managed to get a Skype session with Melissa, thanks to Jack three weeks earlier, to see them on his son's birthday. It was a risk that he saw was worth it just to see them. He and Jack had been careful and since nothing had happened after that day, he'd thought they were safe. Now he tossed and turned and worried if he had put his and Jack's lives at risk by that kind gesture.

"Mick." Michael opened his eyes and saw Gibbs' concern for him.

"You're safe now." He squinted his eyes and realised it was daylight. He looked at his watch and saw it was eight in the morning.

"Hungry?"

Mick nodded and followed Gibbs through to the dining table and sat down. Gibbs threw bacon and eggs on toast onto his plate and handed him a coffee.

"Thanks, Gibbs. Just what I need. Something decent after four months at sea."

"How's Melissa handling your case loads?" He knew from Agent Bronte Smith just how much he'd been away since she'd moved to L.A. six months ago. They hadn't crossed paths once in that time.

"It's been tough on her, Gibbs. Thomas turned one, three weeks ago. I'm a stranger to my own son."

Gibbs saw the regret in his friend's eyes.

"I only hope no more undercover stints occur for a long time. I'll lose her if this continues." He was glad to be heading home later that day.

"I'll talk to Vance to see if I can persuade him for you. He's a father himself, he'll understand." Gibbs took a good long sip of his coffee, savouring his favourite beverage.

Michael Nassir looked over appreciatively at his old friend. "Thanks, Gibbs. Anything that can help keep me home, I appreciate it."

The rest of the morning involved Nassir writing his report up from his four months stint at sea, while Gibbs and his team interrogated Ensign Roger Davies and Lieutenant Lewis Jackson, from USS Arlington.

By lunchtime, a woman with honey blonde hair exited the elevator and walked towards the desks that belonged to Gibbs' team. Ellie Bishop looked up surprised by the visitor. She had just bitten into her sandwich after a long morning.

Special Agent Bronte Smith looked down at the new face on the desk before her and smiled.

"Hi, you must be Ellie Bishop. I'm Agent Bronte Smith, an old friend of Gibbs."

Ellie quickly wiped her hands before shaking with the new arrival.

"Hi." She muffled between gulps of her food.

"Bronte?"

Bronte's head turned and a her face lit up when she saw a familiar face.

"Mick, what are you doing here?" She walked over to the desk Gibbs had given him and hugged him.

"It's been too long."

She enjoyed the warmth and smile from her oldest and dearest friend, Michael Nassir.

"You two know each other?"

Tony entered the squad room, surprised that Bronte knew their visitor. He'd only met Agent Nassir two days earlier onboard USS Arlington, under the guise of Petty Officer, Zachary Wallace. He'd worked out that Gibbs knew him but was surprised Bronte did too. As far as Tony knew, Bronte worked out of the New York office up until six months ago.

Bronte turned and smiled.

"Tony, it's good to see you again." She hugged him and stepped back.

Ellie looked on with curiosity. Her brain tried to make a connection to Agent Smith's name, when she furrowed her brow and looked up details of their current operation, Formosa. There written in detail, was the last time the agency had dealt with the Colombian cartel in New York. Agent Greg Smith and his daughter were gunned down in front of his seven year old son, who miraculously was unharmed. She scanned the notes on how Agent Smith and his ten year old daughter died instantly from gunfire from a semi-automatic. She shook her head and exited the details on her computer screen.

"It's always a pleasure to see you again, Bronte." Tony charmed his way with her.

"So how come you two know each other?"

He pointed to Agent Nassir, as he asked her.

Bronte's face lit up and looked back over at Nassir.

"We went through the Naval Academy together. Met on day one and became best friends."

Mick smiled over to Bronte, he was pleased to see her so happy again after the grief she'd suffered over the past two and a half years.

"We remained together on our first posting on USS Arlington, twenty years ago."

"USS Arlington?" Ellie inquired, surprised Agent Nassir was placed undercover on a ship he'd once worked on, as himself.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

Both Tony and Ellie looked over at Nassir, waiting for him to answer.

"Because I've just spent four months undercover on the USS Arlington." Michael replied to her.

"You've what?" Bronte asked, shocked.

"You should have refused, Mick, what if someone on the ship recognised you and your alias was burned?"

"Relax, Bron, no one is on there now from when we were assigned to Arlington."

He noticed the worry in her eyes and he tried to appease her. The fact that he worked on Operation Formosa in itself he knew would freak her out. After what had happened to Greg and Carrie, he felt he owed it to her to go deep undercover and help bring this cartel down.

"I still don't like it. When are you heading home? Melissa and your kids miss you so much. It's a good thing I'm living there now. Max and I visit as much as we want."

"And I am thankful for you for being there for them, Bron. I'm heading home in a few hours. Just finishing off my paperwork and then heading for the airport."

He held his ticket in his hand, waving it to her with a broad smile on his face.

McGee hopped off the phone and looked over at Tony and Bishop.

"Gibbs said that the suspects from the Formosa Cartel have all been taken to the DEA for questioning so our agents won't be compromised."

"Did you just say Formosa?"

McGee looked up and realised Bronte was there.

"Hi Bronte, good to see you again. What do you know about the cartel?"

Tony and Mick cringed and both shook their heads at McGee, trying to get him to stop talking to Bronte about it.

Bronte's eyes widened and stared intently at Mick.

"Mick, what were you doing on Arlington?"

"Top secret, Bron, I'd have to kill you if I told you."

He smirked, hoping to distract her, but he knew his attempts were fruitless. Bronte was not one to fool easily.

She stepped forward and glared at him.

"Spill it, Mick."

Her anger radiated from her and Tony quickly moved in to appease her.

"Mick can't talk about it with you, Bronte. You worry too much."

"With good reason," she turned and shook her head. Tears began to well up in her eyes and threatened to spill.

"You know how much I've lost from this cartel."

She spun around and pointed her finger into Mick's chest.

"You of all people know my thoughts about them."

"I went for you, Bron." Mick tried to appease her.

"I needed to do something, to help put them away and finish them for good. Before they took someone else we care about away from us."

Bronte shook her head and wrapped her arms around her body.

"No, Mick. Don't you ever tell me you went for me. If I mattered to you, you would have stayed clear of them. They are bad news. You make sure no one follows you home. I can't lose anyone else I care about."

Mick pulled her in for a hug, holding her until she calmed down. Gibbs entered the squad room and realised Bronte was there. When he saw the state she was in, he concluded that she had found out about the undercover operation that he'd worked on.

"Bronte?"

She turned and moved to hug him.

"Don't blame Mick. He only did what any of us would have done if given the chance."

She fisted her hand into his chest.

"No, don't ever tell me that. You know I wouldn't allow it."

She turned to Mick.

"That's why you went without saying a word to me. Four months you've been away, but I've been in L.A. for six. You avoided me knowing I would disapprove."

Mick sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I give up. Guilty as charged."

"Why are you here, Bron?"

Gibbs tried to change the subject, knowing how hard it was on her.

"Vance wanted to see me." She furrowed her brow at him.

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just surprised to see you here, that's all."

He knitted his brow, curious to Vance's reason for bringing her over to D.C.

"But I am glad, it's been five months since I've seen you and I've missed you. How's it working out for you in the L.A. office? Is Callen behaving himself?"

A smile appeared on her face at the mention of Callen and Mick noticed it.

"What's been going on since I've been away, Bron?"

Gibbs laughed.

"Don't look at me."

Bronte blushed and glared at Gibbs.

"Thanks, Gibbs."

Tony was amused watching the three of them.

"Do tell, Bron."

Bronte took in a deep breath and knew that she was not going to escape this one.

"Callen and I, well let's just say, things happened between us."

Gibbs chuckled.

"More than just happened, Bron. More like fell, both of you. Pretty hard too."

Mick raised a brow surprised, but he shouldn't have been. Bronte was beautiful and he knew that any guy would be happy to have her in his life. He smiled and was happy to see her smile again.

"I'm happy for you, Bron. You deserve to be happy again. Greg would have approved. Callen's one of the good guys." He stepped forward and hugged her.

"Thanks, Mick."

"So how's Hetty going?"

He knew how worried Bronte had been over her mother six months ago, Melissa had filled him in about Hetty's cancer.

"She is amazing. She's right into her yoga and meditation, only eating vegan and organic. And drinking dandelion tea. She's doing well, although she's not returned to her post full time yet."

"What will you do once she does?" Mick was curious to know her plans, now that he knew about her and Callen. It was going to be interesting to see them together.

"I'm not sure if she will come back full time. She keeps pushing me to stay where I am as full time Operations Manager. I think she's trying to baby me too much, keeping me out of the field. She had a fit when Callen and I had to take down three gunmen at the beach which she saw happen on the news. I got a graze and she rang Callen in a fit of worry. Not what she needed after her op."

"What? You got shot?" Mick studied her more closely. "Where?"

"Just on my arm. You can hardly tell now."

Mick shook his head.

"No wonder Hetty's keeping you house bound. I would too in her position."

"I can take care of myself and you know that, Mick. She does too."

"So you're okay working out there with Hetty?" Tony asked her.

He had heard a great deal about her over the years and was glad they had the width of the country between them.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of Hetty, Tony?" Bronte's eyes sparkled, slightly amused.

"I've heard rumours, how she's made grown men quake in her presence."

Bronte laughed and Ellie Bishop was intrigued over their visitor. The team knew who she was and it appeared that Gibbs and agent Nassir knew her particularly well.

Bronte turned to Gibbs.

"Hetty doesn't scare you, does she Gibbs?"

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head.

"Never."

"Mick?"

Bronte winked over to Michael, and he could see that she was enjoying it.

"Nope. She's a big softy."

Mick told Tony, who looked skeptical at them.

"You know something and are hiding it from the rest of us. What is it?"

Tony's agent skills were on overdrive, trying to work it out.

"Have you ever met Hetty, Tony?" Bronte asked him, he shook his head.

"You should come to L.A. sometime and meet her. I'm sure she'll fall in love with your charm instantly. She was good friends with Fred Astaire back in the day. You're well attuned knowledge to the old classics will impress her."

She smiled again over to him.

"I could see Kensi might be taken with you. You'll give Deeks a run for his money."

"Deeks?" Tony and McGee asked, not knowing who Deeks was.

"Our LAPD liaison officer and Kensi's partner. He's like a lost puppy in love with her. It's rather sweet."

"Not with Hetty there." Tony admitted.

"She's hardly there at the moment, just overseeing things on a part time basis. I'm pretty much running things over there these days."

When she saw the look of doubt in his eyes, she raised her right brow.

"You don't want to come and see us?"

"You, yes, but not her."

Bronte laughed. "Well if you change your mind, you'll know where to find us."

"I'm still missing something here. What is it that you're not telling me? And why is it that you're not afraid of her?"

That was what had Tony curious most of all. He'd heard that she ran a tight ship out west.

"I've never been afraid of Hetty, Tony. She's like Mick said. A big softy."

"Are we talking about the same person here?" Bronte nodded her head.

"How long have you known her?" Tony narrowed his eyes, thinking she was pulling his leg and all the rumours were true.

"All of my life." Bronte jumped when Abby's arms came around her and wrapped her into a big hug.

"Hi Abs." She breathed out.

"Bronte. You never told me you were coming."

"Last minute call from Vance. How are you Abs?"

"I'm good. You?"

"Great."

"Abby, maybe you can help me."

Tony stepped forward.

"Is all that I've heard about Hetty true?"

Abby looked between Tony and Bronte puzzled.

"What is it that you've heard?" She raised her brow at Bronte, who chuckled.

"That she'll make grown men quake in their boots." Tony told her.

"Yes, that's true. But only if you deserve it. Otherwise, she's a big softy, like Bronte here."

"What do you mean like Bronte?" Tony looked at them confused. McGee and Bishop looked between them and felt like they were missing the piece to the puzzle like Tony was.

"Oh, I've put my foot in it, haven't I?"

Abby looked to Bronte and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Abby?" Tony almost growled as frustration took over.

"Hetty's my mother, Tony." Bronte finally admitted.

Tony and McGee's eyes almost popped out of their heads.

"What? Now you're definitely pulling our legs."

"No, it's true." Gibbs added.

"But Bronte's more like her Père."

"Your father's French?"

"Oui."

"Wow. No wonder you think Hetty's a big softy."

"It's because it's true."

She looked up and saw Vance looking over the mezzanine watching her.

"I've got to go, Vance is waiting for me." She turned to Mick.

"Take extra care heading home. No buts."

"I will, Bron. See you in a few days."

He hugged her again and watched her rise the stairs up to their director's office.

"Bronte, good to see you again, please come on in."

Bronte shook the director's hand and sat.

"You wanted to see me?"

Vance nodded.

"I do. Sorry to drag you away from Max, but I thought this would be best done in person."

Bronte furrowed her brow, as worry began to form in the pit of her stomach.

"I wanted to tell you that we've been working closely with the DEA to bring the Formosa Cartel down for good. That you and Max can soon relax and not worry about them lurking about." He watched her facial expressions change as memories came flooding back.

"How are you doing these days, in Los Angeles?"

"Thank you, Director. I appreciate all that you've done to bring this family down. But why did you have Mick involved?"

She saw his look of surprise that she knew about Mick's involvement.

"McGee let it slip about the cartel, not realising the history."

"I approached Mick knowing about your friendship. He offered to come on board for the operation. It was a huge give on his part, but he wanted to for you. You still mean a great deal to him, Bronte."

"He told me why he went, but you know what I've already lost, Director. I'm surprised you allowed it. Mick was too close to this case, yet you allowed it."

"He insisted, Bronte." Leon sat back in his chair and sighed.

"He's out of it now and heading home in a few hours. I wanted to go over a few things with regards to the case, and to talk to you about your work in Los Angeles."

Bronte nodded. She still wasn't happy, but she was thankful that Mick was heading home.

"Gibbs told you about Mick?"

Leon nodded.

"Don't worry, no one else knows."

"Thanks, I appreciate it, Director. It was a difficult time for us back then."

"I understand, Bronte. You've been through a great deal. Now let's talk about OSP."


	4. Chapter 4

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 4**

**_Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles_**

Callen found himself in a position he disliked the most, sparring with Granger. He never really liked the older man and trusted him very little, although Hetty tried to get him to trust him more. But to be honest, it was embarrassing. He could handle wrestling with Sam as they were partners and brothers, but with Granger? He set his jaw tight as he narrowed his eyes over at his partner, who was chuckling over his predicament. As team leader, he was forced to play with the Assistant Director.

"Laugh all you like, Sam, you're next."

Sam shook his head.

"Nope. Just you, G."

Deeks and Kensi entered and watched on amused. They hung around as Callen threw Granger over his shoulder. There was no way he was going to go soft on the older man.

As Granger stood up, Eric ran in.

"We have a problem." They quickly followed Eric up into Ops and saw images from a house in Santa Monica.

"Whose house are we looking at?" Callen asked Eric.

Bronte entered the mission rubbing her temples as a headache brewed under the surface. The five hour flight didn't help her already stressed levels after her meeting with Director Vance. She looked into the bullpen and noticed it's deserted state as she walked to her office. She had to get used to saying that now. To her it had always been her mother's office, but now it was hers.

Why hadn't her mother told her in person that she was resigning and that she had put her name forward for the position? Instead, her mother had left it up to Director Vance to talk to her, make her sit some tests and meet with an unknown psychologist to see if she was ready to lead the team at OSP.

After dropping her bag, she climbed the stairs and entered through the sliding doors and halted. The team were being briefed on a new case and when she saw the familiar house up on the screen, her jaw dropped.

Callen turned when he heard the sliding doors opened and was surprised to see that Bronte had returned from her trip to D.C. already.

"Agent Michael Nassir," Eric replied.

"What happened?" Bronte took in a ragged breath trying to keep her emotions reined in. After all that they had been through, this is what she had dreaded the most. That was why she was angry at him for going undercover to bring the Formosa Cartel down.

"Bron?" Callen recognised that she was struggling. She merely shook her head and kept her focus on the screen.

"LAPD received a call at six this morning about a kidnapping. Neighbours heard a woman screaming and saw both Agent Nassir and his wife being dragged out of their house, fighting their abductors. Neither Michael or his wife, Melissa, have been found." Nell added.

"I had no idea he was married." Deeks breathed out, this case hitting close to home the risk they all lived with every day.

"What about their children? Ella is five and Thomas has just turned one." Callen furrowed his brow, surprised that she knew so much about the agent. As far as he was concerned, the two had never met.

"LAPD found the boy crying in his cot. No signs of a girl." Nell responded.

"She must be scared and hiding somewhere." She looked at Nell. "He's just come off Operation Formosa. Call Vance and ask for access to the operation."

"Formosa Cartel?" Callen asked her, realising what this meant to her.

Bronte nodded.

"The same one. Vance had agents from around the country onboard five ships out of Norfolk to find out who were on the cartel's payroll. He's just briefed me on the operation. I just saw Mick in D.C. They'd been deep undercover for four months, Agent Jack Stevens was stabbed to death, which resulted in the operation being brought to a halt early. But Vance was certain that they were close to having proof of everyone involved bringing the drugs into the country." Bronte ran from Ops down the stairs.

"Bronte." Callen caught up to her outside.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got to go. I've got to find Ella." Her body shook and Callen rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

"I'll drive." He took her keys from her and started the engine. He sent a quick text to Sam to tell him what was happening.

Bronte pulled her cell out and called Greg's parents. "Andrea. You need to get Max from school and bring him to the boat shed. The Formosa Cartel have men in L.A."

Andrea Smith looked worriedly over to her husband of forty-eight years.

"We'll collect Max straight away, Bronte. Please don't worry. I'm sure he'll be safe."

She disconnected the call and told her husband the news. They left their drinks they had just ordered from a cafe and headed towards the deaf school where Max had settled in two months ago.

When Callen pulled up to the curb a few houses down from the Nassir home, Bronte dashed out of the car and ran for the house. She showed her I.D. to the police officer and continued inside the white two storey house. She knew this house well and ran up the stairs, Callen barely keeping up with her. He found her inside a bedroom with a pink bedspread all neatly laid over the bed. He scanned the room and found Bronte kneeling in front of the opened closet, hugging a dark haired girl with the largest brown eyes, Callen had ever seen. _She's beautiful,_ he thought.

The girl firmly held on tight to Bronte, her hands around her neck and cried in her arms. Tears fell down Bronte's face as she tried to calm the girl down.

"It's okay, El, Bel. Bronnie's here now. Sssh!" She rocked the girl on her lap as she soothed her.

Sam, Deeks and Kensi arrived on scene and found them upstairs. Sam furrowed his brow over to his partner.

"She know the Nassirs?"

Callen shrugged.

"She never mentioned them to me."

He felt hurt that she had kept her friendship with Agent Nassir a secret from him. He thought over the past six months that they had been open and honest with each other. And now he was standing inside one of their own agent's homes, feeling like there was another layer to the woman he loved he'd yet to discover.

"What do you want us to do?" Deeks kept his voice low, not to startle the girl.

"Go through the bedroom, see if you can find something that might help us find out if it is the Formosa Cartel or someone else." Deeks and Kensi nodded as they left for the master bedroom.

"G?" Sam looked to him with a questioning look.

"We'll start outside and see what we can find out." He needed some air and was pleased to be outside, talking with witnesses over what they had seen and heard that morning.

"Tommy." Ella lifted her head and suddenly realised about her brother.

"It's okay, Ella. Tommy's okay. He's eating breakfast downstairs. Are you hungry?"

The girl nodded.

Bronte picked her up and carried her down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. It felt weird to her to be there without at least Melissa being there. The children looked around in hope to see their mother. They'd become accustomed to their father's absence too well.

"Tommy." She put Ella down on the bar stool and lifted the little boy up and cuddled him.

"Bronnie." Thomas hugged her tight and sucked his thumb. Seeing a familiar face had soothed him and he began to drift off to sleep in her arms.

Deeks exited the house in search for Callen.

"I think you need to see this."

Callen and Sam followed the detective up the stairs into the bedroom. Kensi sat at a desk looking at photos that they had found inside a large box. She lifted one of the photos up and handed it to Callen.

"We found these on the top shelf in the closet."

Callen studied the photo, his brow furrowed. He looked up at his team and shook his head.

"She never said anything to me about any of this." Kensi handed him some more and he began to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"I need to speak with her." He left his team in a state of shock and struggled to speak when he saw her rocking the boy in her arms.

"The social worker can take the boy. I need you to come with me."

Bronte shook her head.

"No. No social worker, G. They will stay with us until we find Mick and Mel."

"Whose going to look after them while we work to find them, Bron? You can't get personally involved in every case we work."

"I am personally involved, G. I'm their guardian if anything happens to their parents. They are staying with us." It was the first time she had admitted her personal involvement with the Nassirs to him.

"How did you know Mick?"

After the photos he'd seen upstairs, he needed to know.

"We went through the Naval Academy together. Became best friends and were assigned to the USS Arlington together."

Bronte snuggled her face onto the boy's, kissing him softly on his cheek.

"I need you upstairs. Can you leave the children with the social worker, just for a few minutes?"

He needed to speak with her away from the kids.

She relented and handed Thomas over to the lady who'd been called in to look after him as soon as he'd been found crying in his cot by LAPD. She followed Callen up the stairs and halted when she saw the box open and the photos of her, Mick and Joshua on the desk.

"You had no right to go through that box." Her voice quavered and her body shook.

"Whose the boy?" Callen gently prodded.

Bronte shook her head and looked out the window. Seeing the photos brought back all the pain that she had locked away a long time ago. She choked on a sob, when she felt Callen's arms come around her and drew her in. Sam, Deeks and Kensi left them be, giving them the space they knew Bronte needed. They saw how vulnerable she was and how close she was to this case. She took in a deep breath and calmed herself down before pulling away from Callen.

"It hurts so much in here." She fisted her hand and hit her chest with it.

She remained in her thoughts for a few moments until she had the strength to talk to him.

"He was so beautiful and such a good little boy."

She looked up at Callen as her tears began to spill again. She quickly wiped them away and wrapped her arms around herself.

"His name was Joshua. He was our son. We never meant to have him, it just happened. Best friends who'd turned to each other after a tough case. We'd moved across to NCIS by then, based out of the San Francisco office. When I found out I was pregnant with Josh, Mick moved in and we became a family. Josh was the happiest baby and he brought so much love into our lives. We were on cloud nine. Nothing could dampen our lives."

She furrowed her brow and picked up the photo of him, just before he got sick.

"Then he fell sick. He couldn't keep his food down and he lost so much weight. We took him to numerous doctors, but they all told us the same thing. He had leukaemia and was dying. There was nothing that they could do for him."

She crumbled into Callen's arms when he realised why she had never told him. He saw her grief and understood her pain. She'd been through so much pain in losing loved ones, it was hard enough for her to talk about Lauren, Greg and Carrie. Because she had lost them more recently, her pain from losing them was more accessible. But Callen could see that this pain had been locked away for a real long time. "He was only eighteen months old when he died. Still a baby." He continued to rub his hands up and down her back and arms to soothe her.

"Neither of us could get passed it. I asked for a transfer. I needed to get away from all the memories of him. It hurt so much."

She didn't need to tell him the rest. He concluded that was how she ended up in New York and met Greg.

"We'll find them, Bron. But we need your help to find them. You know this cartel and Mick and Melissa better than any of us."

She looked up into his cerulean orbs and nodded. He had his agent hat on and he was focused and she realised that she needed to be as well. She nodded her head and wiped her tears away.

"Good. Let's get back to the boat shed, Ron and Andrea are there with Max now. We can take Ella and Thomas. I'm sure Hetty would love to spend some time with them."

"She dotes on them whenever she visits. She'll love the distraction."


	5. Chapter 5

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 5**

**_The Boat Shed_**

Bronte carried Thomas into the boat shed with Ella clinging to her side, afraid to let her go. When Ella saw Max inside, she ran over to him and hugged him.

Max looked up with a worried look in his eyes to his mother.

"Mom, what's going on?" He signed over to her.

"Where's Mel?"

Ella pulled on his arm and signed to him.

"Daddy came home last night. Bad men took him and Mommy away."

Callen looked over to Bronte and both of them realised that Ella saw what had happened. Bronte knelt down beside Ella.

"El Bel. What did you see?"

"Dark men with guns. They hit Daddy on the head with one. He went to sleep. Mommy screamed and she tried to fight them, but they were too strong."

She was only five, but she was doing great telling them what she saw.

"I was too scared to find Tommy. I hid in my cupboard."

"You did the right thing, sweetheart." She hugged the girl and signed to Max.

"Why don't you and Ella do some drawings over at the table."

Max nodded and led Ella over. The distraction was what both children needed as she could see the fear in Max's eyes that something bad had happened.

Thomas continued to sleep in her arms and she was glad that they had a couple of days supply in a bag with them of formula, baby food and nappies. It's had been a while since she'd taken care of a baby, but she was familiar with Thomas' routine. She knew the look that Callen gave her of why she hadn't mentioned her friendship with the Nassirs, let alone her past with Mick.

"I need to ring their parents to tell them what's happened." She looked at her watch.

"It'll be dinner time in London now." She noticed the confusion in Callen's eyes.

"Mick's parents live in London. I need to call them."

Callen nodded and allowed her to make the calls. She rang Beth and Peter's number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?"

Beth's English accent had returned after their move back to London. Mick had been born and raised in Washington D.C., although his parents were English. They returned to their home country after his father retired from his CEO position for a large international corporation. Although Mick had grown up with a great deal of money, his love to protect his country was strong. It led him on his path into the Navy and then later over to NCIS. It explained his beautiful home that he shared with his family.

"Beth, it's Bronte."

Bronte's voice quavered and the older woman instantly knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong, Bron?"

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she waited to hear what Bronte had to tell her. She knew Mick and Mel's wills had Bronte as the guardian for their young children. It mad sense to them, with their past and their close friendship even today.

"Ella and Thomas are fine."

Bronte managed to get the concerns out for Beth's grandchildren out of the way first before she continued.

"Mick and Mel have been abducted early hours this morning. We're doing all that we can to find them, Beth."

"We're coming on the next flight out, Bron. Give those grandchildren of ours loads of hugs."

Peter moved closer to his wife when he picked up on the change in her demeanour. It meant only one thing, something had happened to their son.

She disconnected the call and quickly wiped her tears as she looked over at her husband.

"We've got to get to Los Angeles quickly, Pete. Michael and Melissa have been abducted this morning. Ella and Thomas are okay. Bronte's got them."

"I'll make the arrangements, Beth. You go and pack."

He held her tight for a moment longer, before he dialled British Airways.

**_Ops Centre_**

Owen Granger paced the floor, waiting for the information to come through from Director Vance. Nell looked up when the file on Operation Formosa arrived into her inbox. She pulled it up and threw documents up onto the large screen for them to read. All three of them scanned the documents over the operation, particularly the report that Agent Nassir had written up the day before.

"He's thorough in his report," Nell commented.

She realised now, the importance of the agents completing their paperwork as soon as a case was over. Their intel was no good inside their head if something happened to them. She understood why Hetty was always on her agents' back about their paperwork. On the occasions that she had been out into the field, she had a taste for writing up her side of the case. But she also could see how mundane it could become doing them continuously, case after case.

Nell selected the images of the suspects that Agent Nassir was involved in following, onboard the USS Arlington.

"Ensign Roger Davies and Lieutenant Lewis Jackson were his suspects and they were arrested just over a day ago."

She quickly scanned his report about Agent Jack Stevens' death and what he'd done for him to Skype with his family on his son's first birthday and who Abby had witnessed killing Agent Stevens.

"These two Petty Officers are trouble. Petty Officer Shaun O'Leary and Petty Officer, Glendon Cary. Gibbs' report on when they interrogated them with regards to another Petty Officer's death, showed them to be arrogant and that they knew something that Gibbs and his team have yet to find out. But he suspects it was that the identities of the agents on board had been compromised. They discovered that fellow NCIS agents, NCIS Agent Bradley Wilson and NCIS Agent Harry Chambers were involved in Petty Officer Cromwell's death. Chambers killed him to protect Wilson, when he heard a scuffle outside his quarters. Wilson was following O'Leary and Cary at the time, when Cromwell attacked him."

"Does this mean that all NCIS agents on board USS Arlington had been burned?" Owen inquired, still trying to catch up on the highly classified operation that Vance had seen to himself.

"Yes. After Agent Stevens left Agent Nassir's quarters, he was followed and stabbed by O'Leary and Cary. They then went straight to Nassir's quarters, but found him gone. Abby witnessed the stabbing from tapping into the security system and set the alarm off, giving the other agents time to escape. They made it out in time and all access to the Arlington had been locked behind them until they were back safe at the Navy Yard. NCIS and DEA went in to arrest their suspects on all three of the five ships that were in port at the time."

"Do we know if any of the other agents have been abducted?"

Granger prodded her with questions and wasn't surprised with her fast reply. Their intelligence analyst was fast and thorough.

"No. They're all safe. Vance had Gibbs' team contact them all to make sure. Gibbs is on his way over here with Agent DiNozzo to help find the Nassirs. Apparently Agent Gibbs has been friends with Mick for a long time."

"Like Bronte has."

Sam Hanna entered the Ops Centre and scanned the data on screen.

"Bronte knows the Nassirs?"

Owen furrowed his brow.

"She and Mick went through the Naval Academy together and became best friends." Sam knitted his brows together.

"Was Agent Nassir assigned undercover on USS Arlington?"

Eric nodded.

"Yes he was alongside a few others. Their handler was the onboard NCIS Agent, Jack Stevens. He was stabbed by these two men. Petty Officers, O'Leary and Cary."

Sam shook his head and looked sternly at Granger.

"He shouldn't have been there. He was assigned to the Arlington when he graduated from the academy. Do you know why he was there?"

Owen shook his head.

"No. Vance has kept this operation close to his chest."

"Not only was the risk of his real identity being burned high, he was too close to this case. He should never have been on the operation in the first place.

"What do you mean, Agent Hanna?"

Owen could see the agent was holding something back.

Sam sighed.

"G didn't even know until Kensi and Deeks found a box of photos. Bronte and Mick have a past. They had a kid together, but he died at eighteen months from leukaemia. Was the happiest and cutest kid you ever saw," Sam shook his head.

"Bronte said she was furious with him when she found out what he'd been working on. She told him he was too close to it and it was too dangerous. Now we know why she was angry with him. She was worried and had a damn good reason for it. But we also understand he volunteered for her, after what the Formosa Cartel did to Greg and Carrie."

"And now his and his wife's lives are at risk because he went undercover for Bronte. But how come none of the other agents have been abducted?"

Nell's synapses quickly passed information through her brain to analyse and sort out the mess.

"Bronte."

Sam looked to Nell.

"Bring up Bronte's file."

Nell nodded and quickly brought it up onto the screen.

"Here it is." Nell pointed to the details.

"Bronte was assigned on the USS Arlington with Mick. If someone recognised Mick, they would have linked him to her. The Cartel are after her and her son. Didn't Max witness the attack on his dad and sister?"

"Yes. But why allow him to live back then, only to go searching for him twenty months later?" Sam pulled out his cell and dialled Callen.

"G. You need to take Bronte and Max to a safe house. The cartel are after them. No other agents onboard the Arlington or any of the other ships have been abducted. Someone recognised Nassir and burned his true identity. If they recognised him, they would have linked him to Bronte and her son."

**_The Boat Shed_**

Callen furrowed his brows, looking intently over at Bronte. She sat on the sofa, cuddling a sleeping Thomas, who had settled with her from the moment he saw her. Max and Ella continued to have their silent conversation signing as they drew. The pictures Ella had drawn were of the men who had taken her parents. For a five year old, she drew a lot of detail. When he looked at Max's drawings, his eyes widened. They were of the shooting from twenty months earlier. The morning events had triggered that horrid day for the boy and he alongside Ella, drew what feared them the most.

"I'll arrange to transfer them to a safe house along with Greg's parents. Mick's parents are on their way over from London. Not sure about Melissa's. I don't think Bronte's been able to get hold of them yet."

Callen licked his lips, feeling his whole family life was falling apart from the danger that threatened them.

"Sam, you need to call Nate. We need his analysis on Max and Ella's drawings. We might be able to pull something from them to find out who is after them and have taken the Nassirs."

"Will do, G."

Callen looked inside his phone for the nearest available safe house. He tried to analyse the situation from an agent's point of view, not a personal one. Why had they targeted Mick, when it was Bronte that they were after? She was just in D.C. She would have been an easy target on route home to L. A. Was it because Mick was the easier target? They had him in their sights so they could easily follow him? But why take him and Melissa and not wait until he led them to her?

He quickly dialled his cell.

"Nell, can you send me a photo of Melissa for me please?"

"Sure thing, Callen." Nell pulled up a photo and pressed send. After she had done it she narrowed her eyes and took a closer look at the image.

Callen looked at the image as it came through and looked up over at Bronte. He looked between the two and shook his head. He walked across the room and sat down beside her. He showed the image of Melissa to Bronte.

"That's Melissa. What's going on, G?"

Bronte looked into his eyes and saw fear in them.

"Don't you see that she's a lot like you?" Bronte took another look at the photo and shrugged.

"I suppose. I mean, we have the same colour hair and eyes. But that's about it. Why?"

"We believe that Mick and Melissa were taken because of you."

"Me? Why?" She shook her head.

"No. They have no idea about me. It was Greg that they were after. I wasn't at the park." She paused and looked over at her son.

"Max." She looked back at Callen and fear for her son grew within her.

"But they spared him. Why come after him now?"

"We need to take the four of you to a safe house, Bron. It's not safe for any of you."

Callen pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his arms around her and Thomas.


	6. Chapter 6

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 6**

Callen settled Bronte and the children into the safe house not too far from the mission. It was a Californian style house, painted blue with white trimmings and a gorgeous front verandah with a view over a secluded garden. Hetty had chosen well on this particular property. No eyes from the road could see into the front garden and the agents and parties who they were protecting could at least sit out on the verandah and relax. The rear garden had a gate through to an alley way for a quick get away if the need arose, with security cameras fitted for extra security. The garden had been tended to recently. It was neat and weeded, ready for the coming winter. A large tree sat in the middle of the garden and had turned a golden colour, it's leaves had begun to drop and scatter on the lawn underneath it. The property had a tranquil feel about the place and he hoped it soothed Bronte and the children. There was a swing out back tied under a large oak, its leaves had also changed to an amber colour. As he looked around the house for a bed for Thomas, he was pleased to see that Hetty had well equipped the house with a portacot and high chair, which had been folded away in a closet. He pulled them out and set them up in the smallest bedroom. He also found some soft toys in a box, high up in the cupboard and brought them out for Thomas to play with. He had no idea what a one year old needed and was thankful that Bronte did.

He found Bronte on the swinging chair, at the far end of the front verandah. Thomas sat on her lap and she had Max and Ella sitting either side of her, eager for her to rock the seat even further. The smiles on their faces made him realise just how resilient children could be, but he also knew how too much bad stuff destroyed a child's emotional well being. For now, Max and Ella appeared to be enjoying themselves, that in itself was a relief. He was more concerned over how clingy Thomas was of Bronte, who showed no sign of placing him on the mat, which he'd laid out in front of her. He stepped forward.

"Would Thomas like to play on the mat?"

The boy buried his head into Bronte's chest, but Callen had a trick up his sleeve. Well in this case, behind his back. He pulled out a soft honey coloured bear that had caught his attention in the box he'd found. It had a blue ribbon tied around his neck and looked perfect for a one year old boy. He pulled it out from behind him and brought him closer to Tommy. He'd had fun playing this game with Sam's daughter, Kamran, many times over the years and it always ended up with her in giggles.

"Hello, Tommy. My name is Bluey. I love lots of cuddles and I love to be squished and taken on lots of adventures."

Callen put on a funny voice, like he'd done in the past with Kamran and no sooner had he begun, Tommy had turned and pulled his hands out to grab Bluey. The boy squished him tight into his arms and giggled at Callen's funny voice. He slid down from Bronte's lap and started talking to the bear, as his tiny feet carried him in a wobbly way towards the mat. He sat down with the teddy and interacted with the bear and the other toys on the mat. There was a fire truck, airplane and lots of small cars for him to play with. It was really sweet when Callen knelt down and brought a train onto the mat. The boy's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw him.

"Thomas."

The blue train with a smiley face went chugga, chugga, choo choo along the mat as the boy played with his favourite train, the one that shared his name.

Bronte looked over at Callen with tears in her eyes.

"Well I never thought I would ever see the day when I saw you playing with a one year old." She'd watched him build a relationship with his son, Michael, and her son, Max, over the past five months with pride. She tried hard and she could see the time he'd spent with Sam's daughter had paid off. But she never expected to see this side of him, interacting with a one year old boy whom he'd never met before. It took her breath away and she found herself pondering, what if they had a child? She shook the thought from her head, there was no way it would happen. Not now. She wasn't sure if she could go through bringing another child into the world and have them torn from her. She'd lost two already and the one she had, was still in danger.

"Oh, there's a lot you haven't seen yet." He stood up and started walking towards them with his hands out front, wiggling his fingers. "I am a zombie. A tickling zombie." He spoke like a robot and caught Ella and Max's attention. Ella screamed in delight as she and Max slid off the seat and ran to the other end of the verandah. They ran down the steps and into the front garden as Callen turned and headed in their direction. Bronte sat there laughing and loved the distraction from what the day had brought them. She wished Michael was there right now with them and could see this side of his father. But she needn't have wished, as Sam pulled up with Michael right at that moment and caught Callen in the act. "I'm glad you're here," she told Sam and Michael. "He's been great with Tommy and the other two. I've never seen him like this."

Sam chuckled.

"You'll be surprised. He's had many years practising with Kamran." He turned to Michael.

"You want to tackle your Dad?"

Michael looked over at Sam and a familiar smirk graced his lips.

"Oh yeah."

Michael ran over to where the others were trying to escape the tickling Zombie and he attacked his father by jumping on his back.

"Mighty Mike is here to save you."

Callen held onto his son and swung him around as he tried to free himself of the superhero that had come to rescue Ella and Max. Ella squealed with delight and Max laughed in his own way, as they watched Michael wrestle with his dad. Eventually Callen freed himself of his son and had him lying on the soft grass and tickled him. Michael wriggled and laughed as Max and Ella came to his rescue and tickled Callen.

"Aaah. I'm being attacked on all sides."

Callen laughed as he was tickled and found himself wriggling out of their reach as much as Michael was from him. Eventually he escaped them and found himself out of breath. He ran over to Bronte and Sam, who stood on the verandah.

"Wow, I never realised how exhausting being a father was."

Sam laid his hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome to parenthood."

Although Callen had five months of being a father to Michael and a substitute father to Max, this was the first time Callen blossomed in the role. Perhaps it was the house and gardens that had the effect on Callen, or the need to make the Nassir children feel more at ease in the unfamiliar surroundings without their parents. But whatever it was, it was a great distraction for what was going on around them.

Callen's smile broadened and he headed off chasing the three children again, enjoying the moment.

Hetty noticed a text on her cell and furrowed her brow as she read it. _Why is Bronte asking me to meet me at this safe house?_ She grabbed her keys and started her jag, heading for their location. As she pulled up she was sure that she could hear kids laughing and Callen's voice, but it was in a funny tone. A smile appeared on her face as she entered the enclosed front garden and found her daughter and Sam laughing at the shenanigans of Callen's with three children. She narrowed her eyes confused as to why Ella was with Max and Michael. Then she saw Thomas, but no sign of Melissa and she looked towards her daughter with a questioning look.

"Well this is a surprise, my dear. I never expected to find kids squealing at this location."

Bronte leaned over and hugged her mother.

"Hi, Mom. Callen's been great keeping the kids distracted. Whoever thought that he was the class clown? Now Deeks I could understand, but G?"

She laughed again as the kids started shoving leaves down Callen's shirt. He grabbed some too and started to do the same to them. It was an all out leaf fight and the kids were having a blast. Callen too from the look on his face. His eyes sparkled and Bronte was determined to see more of this side of Callen in the future.

Hetty turned around and watched on, amused. But the reason for them being at the safe house caused Hetty concern. She heard Thomas babbling behind them and she went to see what he was doing. She smiled when she saw him playing with the teddy bear, one which she had recognised from the collection that she had stored in a box. He was telling the bear that they were going to see Thomas the Tank Engine.

"Hello, Thomas."

Thomas' face brightened when he saw her.

"Hetty!" He lifted his hands up into the air for her to pick him up.

"Wow, look at you, young man. You're growing bigger everyday."

He held onto Bluey as she lifted him up and he showed her the bear.

"Bluey." He told her.

"That's a good name for him. It goes with his ribbon."

The boy pointed to Callen and she understood that he was telling her that he had given him the bear.

"Did Callen give you the bear, Thomas?"

He nodded and cuddled it in his arms.

"Where's your Mommy?"

The boy shook his head and buried himself in her shoulder.

Bronte watched on sadly when she heard her mother ask him about Melissa. The guilt that she felt about what had happened to her and Mike returned in an instant.

"Mom." She stepped forward.

"Sam will fill you in. I need to change his nappy and feed him."

Hetty nodded and handed the boy over to her. She watched Bronte enter the house before joining Sam on the steps.

"What's going on, Sam?"

Sam's face darkened from being brought back to the realities of the day.

"How well do you know Agent Michael Nassir and his wife, Melissa?"

Hetty looked over at Callen and the children as she answered him.

"Very well." She turned and faced her agent.

"Tell me, Sam, what's happened? I can see it in Bronte's eyes, she can't tell me."

"They were abducted from their home early this morning. If it wasn't for Bronte, we wouldn't have known about Ella. She was hiding in the closet. LAPD received a call from neighbours who'd heard Melissa screaming for help. They found Thomas crying in his cot." Fear for Mick and Melissa grew within Hetty's gut.

"Bronte told us that he's just returned from a four month deep undercover operation dealing with the Formosa Cartel using our ships to bring in cocaine."

Hetty drew in a ragged breath and stood up. Her legs betrayed her and shook. Sam quickly rose and grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Thank you, Sam. It's just a shock. I had no idea that was where Mick was for the past four months." She shook her head.

"No wonder why Bronte can't talk about it."

"She saw Mick in D.C. Director Vance updated her on the operation, thought that she would like to know after what happened in New York."

Hetty turned and faced him.

"Mick should not have gone on that operation. He's too close to it."

"How close, Hetty? Bronte never mentioned her history with Mick, until Kensi and Deeks found the photos that Mick had kept of them and Joshua."

Hetty furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"It was a difficult time for them both, to watch their son deteriorate and there was nothing that either of them could do for him."

She was known for being so good at hiding her emotions, but talking about Joshua had her fragile at the edges. Tears welled up in her eyes and her voice quavered.

"I've known Mick for as long as Bronte and he have been best friends. They did everything together. But after losing Joshua, Bronte couldn't deal with the pain and transferred back east. Then she met Greg and she began to heal somewhat. But I think she really locked the pain away. In time she started being in contact with Mick again, although they were now living on the opposite sides of the country. But whenever they could they would Skype and visit each other. Mick had met Melissa by then and the two families became close, especially after Ella was born. They both had moved on, married with a kid at least. Then when Greg and Carrie were killed, it was Mick who dropped everything to be at her side. He was her strength, when no one else could be."

"We've heard he went undercover for Bronte. To give her the justice that she deserved for them."

"I told him that he shouldn't have gone."

Bronte stepped out onto the verandah and heard the last part of their conversation.

"I got so angry with him. But he couldn't see how dangerous it was dealing with this cartel. And now they've been taken because of me."

Sam gave her a quizzical look.

"What do you mean, because of you, Bronte? You're here because of Max. They are trying to get to him."

Bronte shook her head.

"I thought that too, until Callen pointed out to me just how similar Melissa is to me. Anyone who didn't know us, might get us mixed up. I see it now. She's in danger because they thought she was me."

"Why you, when you weren't involved in the Formosa case, nor at the park that day?"

Sam was trying to put the pieces together, whilst his partner continued to distract the children.

Bronte shook her head.

"I don't know why. I keep trying to understand all of this myself. If Mick's true identity got burned on the ship and he was followed home, the only thing I could think of was that it was someone from our past on the USS Arlington. But there's no one from our time on the ship that would want to cause us any harm. The only link to his abduction is the case he was working on."

"But none of the other agents onboard the Arlington or the other ships have had any attempts to abduct them or harm them since they've returned home."

Bronte looked puzzled.

"You really don't know why, do you?"

Sam could see that Bronte was just as puzzled about this case as they were.

"No, I don't. If they were after me, I have no idea why. I wasn't on that operation and I haven't come in contact with any of them. If it's to get to Max, why, when they spared him at the time? None of these reasonings make any sense."

"Nell and Eric are looking into all angles. If there's a reason, they'll find it." Bronte nodded and headed back inside to check that Thomas had fallen asleep. She worried over her friends and what would happen to their children if they didn't find them in time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 7**

Callen left Bronte and the children with Hetty and Sam while he headed back to the mission to find a clue to where Mick and Melissa had been taken to, and by whom. Sam had chatted with him over his own conversations with Hetty and Bronte, but they still had nothing to help them find them. He entered the mission and climbed the stairs. He found Nell and Eric busy in Ops and Granger sitting at Hetty's desk, seeing Bronte was now in witness protection alongside Max and the Nassir children.

"Nell. I need your help on piecing things together. Can we work downstairs?"

Nell nodded and followed Callen to a quiet corner in the alcove.

"Have you crossed checked all the staff onboard USS Arlington to ensure that no one from when Mick was assigned to the ship with Bronte?"

"It was an extensive list as you know. But Vance had the crew vetted to ensure that Mick's true identity wouldn't be burned during this op. Eric and I have placed their facials on our systems to see if any faces come up or have been found travelling through LAX. So far we have nothing."

Callen paced the floor behind her and stopped.

"What about the New York case. Hetty mentioned to Sam that Mick was the one who dropped everything to be with Bronte after the shooting. Have you looked into the New York operation that Greg worked on?"

Nell took a deep breath in and opened up a file that had Callen knit his brows together. "Greg was undercover for three months with the Formosa Cartel. These are the images he'd placed on a thumb drive from those three months." Nell continued to type away and brought up another file. "This one is locked and it appears that not even Eric can crack it open." She looked intently at him. "We need the person with the key."

"Eric can break the internet. Surely he can break into this file?" He knew that Eric was one of the best at what he did, which is why Hetty had him on their team.

Nell shook her head. "He's tried. I've tried. It's well protected."

"Is it one of our files, or from the DEA?"

"Ours."

"Can you trace a name to who has the key to the file?"

Callen watched Nell enter the search. He shook his head in frustration.

"Michael Nassir. Is he the only one with access to this file? What about Vance, can he tell us if there is anyone else who has the key?"

"I've tried. Vance is in a meeting and he hasn't returned my call yet."

"He realises that this file might have the answers to finding Mick and his wife, doesn't he?"

It was unusual for their director to be unavailable at a time like this one.

"Did Mick create the document?" Nell nodded.

"Anyone else accessed it?"

Nell quirked up her right brow and began typing away on the keyboard.

"Gibbs. He's the only other one."

"Someone say my name?" Relief crossed over Callen's face upon hearing his friend's voice.

"Talk about timing. We need your help." Callen stepped back and allowed Gibbs to move in closer to the computer.

"Apparently you and Mick are the only two who have access to this file."

Gibbs furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"I can't get you in. I'm sorry, but not this file."

"But you've accessed it before."

Leroy Jethro Gibbs sighed heavily. He looked to DiNozzo and pondered before turning back to Callen.

"Where's Bronte?"

"At a safe house with Max and Mick's kids. Why?"

Callen knew that look and didn't like what it usually meant. But they were urgently trying to find Mick and Melissa before they were killed. If they hadn't been already.

"Good." He turned to Nell.

"Can you take DiNozzo upstairs and see if he can help you find Mick and Melissa."

He turned back to Callen and scanned around them. He waited till they were alone before he typed on the keyboard.

"I am only showing you this because of the situation. But you cannot mention this to anyone, especially Bronte."

Callen furrowed his brow and took in a deep breath. What was Mick and Gibbs hiding from Bronte? Callen's eyes widened as he read the report that Mick had written up back in October of nineteen, ninety-nine. It was when he and Bronte had been based in San Francisco and had been updated twenty months ago, after Greg and Carrie had been killed.

"She knows nothing of this?"

Callen felt the anger surge through his body at an alarming rate.

"No. Mick only told me for back up, incase anything ever happened to him. But he's tried his hardest to protect her from this." Gibbs shook his head.

"He'll die for her, you know that, don't you? He's never stopped caring about her. They've been thick as thieves since the academy."

"Before today, I thought that they were strangers. It's been a hell of a day so far in all that we've found out. To find photos in Mick's house of the two of them with a boy was a shock."

Callen ran his hand over his face, feeling the effects of this case.

"It was too painful for her to talk about it. Mick was the one who told me about Joshua. But even Bronte doesn't know about any of this."

They looked back at the documents and DNA test he'd had done on their son. Negative match to Mick, but a positive match to another man.

The name made Callen livid.

"How come she has no knowledge of this, when this happened to her?"

"She was unconscious when Mick found her. This monster, he did this to her when she was knocked out from the drugs in her system. She was lucky to have survived it. It almost broke Mike. But he rescued her and took her home. When she came to, she had no memory of her time in captivity and thought that Mick was the father."

"So are you telling me, that Greg and Carrie weren't killed because he had been burned undercover?"

Callen couldn't believe what Gibbs was showing him. Images of a drugged out and battered Bronte appeared up on the screen. The evidence was there, but locked away to protect her. If she had no memory of it, there was no way the either Mick or Gibbs was going to tell her.

"Yes."

Gibbs heaved out his breath and saw the pain in Callen's eyes. He'd seen the same look in Mick's and he knew that Callen would do anything to protect her. But now, with Mick and Melissa's lives hanging in the balance, he wasn't sure if he could continue to protect Bronte from the truth.

"Does Hetty know anything about this?"

Gibbs shook his head.

"We daren't tell her."

_**Abandoned building in Montebello, Los Angeles**_

Michael Nassir's head pounded as he pried his eyes opened and took in his surroundings. It was dark with a stream of light coming in from a small window high up the wall behind him. It provided him enough light to see around him and to find his wife. His memory was sketchy but he remembered the men enter their bedroom and drag Melissa out of the bed. She was screaming and he tried to fight them off. Then everything went blank. He turned to his left and saw the outline of her sleeping form. He wasn't sure if she was conscious and had fallen asleep or if she had been knocked out like he had been or if they had drugged her. Fear for her safety grew within him, he knew who they were. He'd gone deep undercover for the past four months for justice, from the deaths of Greg and Carrie. But he knew that there was far more involved in this than just the drugs. He'd tried for years to keep it hidden from Bronte the truth of what went down back in San Francisco, in October of nineteen, ninety-nine.

Anger surged through him, as he realised that it had come back to haunt him. He'd failed in ensuring that Bronte was safe. The men thought that Melissa was her and took her because he had to fall in love with a woman who reminded him so much of her. He was annoyed with himself for placing Melissa in danger. He should have predicted this, but never in his wildest dreams had he thought that the son of Luis Formosa, would search for her even after all of these years. He thought he had protected her and had moved on in his life without her, if it meant that she was safe and happy. But it all went south when he received a call from her, sobbing. He could hardly understand her, but he had dropped everything and caught the next flight to New York.

The only door into the room where they were tied up, opened and more light streamed inside. The men who entered were shadows with the light behind them. But then one of them turned the light on, causing Mick to squint. It was too bright for his eyes and he needed time to adjust. Then Adán Formosa stepped forward and hauled him off the floor.

"Where is she?"

Mick furrowed his brow.

"Who are you talking about?"

"The woman that you stole from me, fifteen years ago. She belonged to me and you took her." Adán Formosa snarled at him.

"I don't know who you're talking about."

He let his English accent that he had picked up from his parents strengthen in his voice, in hope that it would confuse the man before him.

Adán moved back and looked at Melissa.

"You will call her and arrange to meet you, or your wife will become mine, in her place. Your wife for Bronte."

It was no use, Mick realised. The man knew Bronte's real name. It proved to him what he had always suspected, that Greg had been targeted because he was her husband. He needed to warn Callen, he needed to keep Bronte out of this. He hadn't gone to all of this effort to have her placed in danger again. But then he looked at Melissa who had begun to stir. He nodded to his captor and was relieved that Adán untied his bonds and handed him his cell.

_**Office of Special Projects**_

Callen frowned at his cell when he realised who was calling him. He indicated to Gibbs to put a trace on and answered the call. Gibbs moved away from Callen and dialled DiNozzo, who he'd sent with Nell.

"Need a trace on the call coming into Callen's cell, NOW."

"On it boss."

"Hello?" He remained quiet in his talking to see if he could hear anything in the background.

"Bron, it's Mick. Are you back in L.A. yet?"

Callen picked up instantly that Mick had deliberately called his cell instead of Bronte's.

"Yes, I am."

"Oh good. Mel and I are away for a few days staying at the Hilton Checkers. We were wondering if you would like to catch up with us tonight for dinner, around 7?"

"Yeah, sure." Callen continued to answer softly. If whoever had taken Mick and his wife thought he was talking to Bronte, then he had to pretend to be her.

"Mel would love to hear all about your new man that you told me about the other day." Mick was telling him that Bronte had told him about him in D.C. and to warn him that any man associated with Bronte was in danger. With what Gibbs had told him, he knew that he had to be careful."

"Looking forward to catching up with you again. Bye."

Callen disconnected the call and turned to Gibbs.

"We need people in at the Hilton Checkers Hotel stat. That's where Bronte is supposed to meet Mick and Mel at seven."

"He's a smart guy. Rang you instead of Bronte. He knows about the two of you and he's happy for you both. He saw how much her face lit up just hearing your name."

"We need to rescue them or we'll miss our only chance in bringing them home alive."

_**Montebello**_

"See, that wasn't so hard."

Adán looked over to him and smiled.

Mick saw the fear in Melissa's eyes and she really thought that he had sold Bronte out. Although she had no idea what was going on, she knew that Mick had traded Bronte for her. And that this was tearing him apart on the inside. She was aware of their past and long term friendship and understood why he dropped everything, twenty months earlier for her when Greg and Carrie were killed. She saw him sign a name to her and she realised that he hadn't called Bronte, but Callen. She'd heard Bronte talk about Callen with love in her eyes and also knew that Mick worked with him. It gave her some peace of mind at least that he hadn't called Bronte.

"Tie his hands back up."

Adán ordered, annoyed over Mick's signing. He'd witnessed the boy sign to his sister and father that day in the park. It was that reason that he had decided to spare him. He would leave her with the damaged child. But it wasn't the boy that he cared about. It was the woman whom he knew had born his child. He'd searched for him and had yet to find his son. Anger surged through him as he slapped Mick across the face.

"Now tell me, what happened to my son? Where is he?"

Mick shuffled on his spot on the floor and kicked out his legs to injure the Columbian. Adán fell hard on his arm, injuring him. He cursed out in Spanish at Mick, who understood every word he said. He held his right arm with his left to protect it as he stood up. He kicked Mick hard in the ribs, causing him to yell out in pain. It had bee worth it, Mick decided. To suffer some pain just to give some back to the bastard.

"He's dead." Mick coughed out.

Adán was taken by surprise by the answer. He studied Mick and realised that he was telling him the truth. He had never envisage that the boy could be dead. He would be fourteen now, had he been alive. Ready for him to train up to take over the family business one day. He stormed out of the room and paced the floor. He wanted the woman and his son back. His visage darkened as he thought over his plan. Not one woman had birthed him a son, other than Bronte. It's what made her special to him. All the others had born him girls, who only caused him more grief than any benefit. He barged back into the room and hauled Mick back up onto his feet with his left arm. His right arm throbbed and he knew that he would need a doctor to assess it. He just hoped that it wasn't broken. He needed his strength to control the woman. Or he'd have to drug her again. "When did he die?"

Mick could see that the Columbian truly cared for the boy, but it still didn't make him like him one bit.

"Eighteen months. He had leukaemia." A tear ran down Mick's face betraying him over his own love for the boy, even though he knew that this monster before him was the real father.

A groan escaped Adán's mouth at the realisation that his son had died so young from a disease. He slammed the door shut behind him and exited the building. He needed to get his prisoners ready to transfer to the Hilton in time for their meet with Bronte. He took in a deep breath and screamed out loud. It echoed throughout the abandoned commercial estate. His plans of training up his son was ruined. He paced the parking lot until an idea filled his mind. We'll have another one. I will get her pregnant. Yes, that's what I'll do.


	8. Chapter 8

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 8**

**_Hilton Checkers Hotel, Los Angeles_**

Deeks and Kensi entered the Hilton dressed up for the night out. Deeks was in a navy suit and baby blue shirt that made him look every bit the part of the lawyer that he was. Martin Davies escorted his lovely wife, Jennifer, to the front desk. "Mr and Mrs Davies. We have a reservation."

"Welcome to the Hilton, Mr and Mrs Davies. Please sign here and may I please see some form of identification."

Deeks pulled out his alias' drivers licence and nibbled on his wife's ear, to scan the lobby area of the hotel. Kensi looked in the other direction, but neither could see anyone linked with the Formosa Cartel.

"Here is your key. You're in one of our Junior Suites on the fifteenth floor."

Deeks looked at the number and smiled at his partner.

"Thank you very much. I'm sure we'll enjoy our stay."

He led his so called wife to the elevator and captured her lips for all around them to see, as they waited for the lift doors to open. It was imperative for any guests or hotel staff not to suspect them to be Federal Agents.

Nell and Eric had pulled through and found the information that they needed. In one of the other Junior Suites, Mr and Mrs Nassir were booked in and according to surveillance cameras, they entered thirty minutes earlier than Kensi and Deeks. Although they looked to be alone, Nell and Eric noticed the three men who hovered around them.

"Okay, Sam and Gibbs. You're turn to clean some windows on the fifteenth floor." It was the easiest floor for them to arrive onto to clean the windows, with the patio that stretched around the suites from the Presidential suite. With the bucket and squeegee in hand, the two agents posed as window cleaners began to get to work. They began with the Presidential suite before moving along to the Junior suites. "Okay, Callen. You're up."

Dressed in a waiter's outfit, Callen knocked on the suite where the Nassirs were booked into.

"Your meal has arrived, Sir."

Callen pretended to be a Russian, putting on his usual accent when undercover. Thankfully, Mick answered the door and relief washed over their agent, who was relieved to know that the team had come up with a plan to rescue him and his wife, Melissa.

Another man stood in the room and was annoyed over Callen being there.

"We did not order anything."

He came over and told Callen after he'd wheeled the trolley into the room.

Deeks timed it perfectly, coming in behind him, telling Callen that it was their order, picking up on the Columbian's protest for the food.

"Excuse me, Sir, but this is the suite where I was instructed to bring the food to. I cannot just deliver to anyone who comes chasing after me, telling me that it's their food." Callen continued to argue with Deeks, as Kensi, who was crouched down underneath the trolley and hidden by the cloth, peeped out and found her target. She blew a dart laced with a sleeping sedative into his leg and waited for him to collapse. Please that her work was complete, she climbed out from underneath the trolley and handed Mick a weapon. DiNozzo knocked on the door, stating that he was called up due to some misunderstanding. Deeks and Callen both tried to explain their side of the misunderstanding, while Mick whispered to Kensi that Melissa was in the bathroom with the other two men.

"Someone's leaving the bathroom." Gibbs quietly called through on the comms, giving the other agents the heads up. Kensi hid behind the curtain as the second man entered the bedroom. Surprised to see the commotion still going on, he looked puzzled as to where his companion had gone to. Kensi walked up behind him and inserted another dart into his neck. He went down immediately, leaving one last man with Melissa.

Sam quietly cut into the glass of the bathroom and peeped through. Melissa sat in the bathtub, with her captor sitting on the toilet seat, holding a gun. He recognised the frustrations surging through the Columbian. From the photos that Nell and Eric had sent through, he knew that this was the new head of the Formosa Cartel. It was easier than they thought, to fool the Columbian and to chop the head off the cartel on their home turf. Sam fired his weapon through the hole and hit Adán Formosa in the head. He slumped to the floor and blood poured out onto the ceramic tiles. Melissa screamed and Mick ran in with his weapon held out front. Kensi and Callen followed and relief flooded their system that Adán Formosa and his men had been taken without a hitch.

Mick placed the safety switch back on his weapon and slid it into the small of his back. He pulled Melissa out of the bath tub and wrapped his arms around her. He let her cry and get the emotions of their abduction run through her system. She hadn't understood any of what they had been through that day, only that the man wanted Bronte. She'd heard Mick tell the Columbian about his son, Josh, but she was still puzzled. She looked up at him and he wiped her tears away.

"Mick." She took in a ragged breath to gain strength to continue.

"Why did he want Bronte and why did he think that Joshua was his son?"

Mick looked awkwardly over to Callen and Kensi. Callen urged Kensi to leave them be and not to mention anything about what she had just heard to anyone. Kensi nodded and left, leaving Callen alone with them.

"Gibbs told me, Mick," Callen admitted.

"I promise I would never tell her what really happened."

Mick nodded.

"Thanks, Callen. I appreciate it, but it won't be easy. Not now. She'll want answers to why we were taken and by whom."

"We could just tell her that someone from your last case followed you and we got them, so it's now safe."

Callen felt the need to protect Bronte at all costs, just like Mick and Gibbs had done before him.

"Mick?" Melissa had a quizzical expression on her face.

"What happened?"

"Not now, Mel. Let's go home to our kids." He looked over to Callen.

"Thanks for the rescue. I owe you one."

"No, Mick. That makes us even for when I threw you into the marina tied to concrete blocks."

Mel furrowed her brow,

"What in the world is he talking about?"

"Long story, Mel. We'll talk later. But promise me that you won't say a word to Bronte about any of this. Only that someone from my last case followed me home. Okay?"

Melissa nodded, although she wasn't happy about it.

"Bronte and Hetty are with your kids at a safe house. I'll take you straight there."

"Thanks, Callen. They must be scared after what happened."

"Ella hid in a closet until Bronte found her. Thomas was found by LAPD crying in his cot, but once he saw Bronte, he's settled. They both have."

**_Safe House_**

There were tears when Mick and Melissa entered the safe house and reunited with their children. Ella ran into her daddy's arms and snuggled into his shoulder. Thomas waddled, refreshed after his sleep and dinner. Melissa scooped him up into her arms and kissed his chubby cheeks.

"We've missed you two so much." Melissa told them, thankful to be home.

"We missed you too." Ella told them.

Bronte walked over and hugged Melissa and Mick, relieved that they were found safe.

"So glad the two of you are okay."

She quickly wiped the tears that fell down her cheeks, annoyed with herself for getting so emotional. She turned to Callen.

"Thank you, for finding them. Where did you find them?"

"In an abandoned warehouse in Montebello." Mick told her, surprising Bronte for answering for Callen. But the truth was, he needed to hide the truth of what really went down that day from her. Questions would be asked if the hotel came into mention.

"Told you that Eric and Nell are the best at what they do."

Callen added, to take the pressure off Mick from Bronte's inquisitiveness. Mick was right about one thing, it was going to be difficult to keep this secret from her and he understood the strain Mick had been under for all of these years. If Bronte found out, the guilt that she would carry with her over the death of Greg and Carrie would be too much for her. Not that any of this ever had been her fault. She was the victim, but thankfully she had been drugged and had no memory of her time in captivity with the Columbian.

There was a knock on the door and when Bronte answered it, her face lit up, seeing Gibbs and DiNozzo on the front verandah.

"It's about time you came to L.A., Tony."

She hugged both men and urged them inside.

"We couldn't head home without seeing you, Bron."

Gibbs nodded over to Hetty who walked over and hugged him.

"Nor your Mother. Hello, Hetty."

"Jethro, it's good to see you again."

She looked over at his companion and sized him up.

"It's good to see that your team have better dress sense than my team here in Los Angeles." She stepped forward and outstretched her hand.

"Hetty Lange."

Tony look down at the petite woman and felt her presence was as he'd heard. Never take this woman for her small package. She was larger than life.

"Tony DiNozzo. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lange. You may be a puzzle, but I like the way the parts fit."

Hetty roared out laughing at his use of one of Frank Sinatra's quotes.

"I see that Bronte told you that I know Frank personally." She patted the back of Tony's hand she still held.

"I've heard a great deal about you, Mr DiNozzo. You're love for the classics is the part I would love to spend more time talking with you about."

"If only we had the time." Tony relaxed and noted just how intricate Hetty was as a woman. When she needed to be she was the tough ninja, but here in amongst family she was a pleasure.

"Yes, I'm afraid we're needed back east, Hetty." Gibbs added and wrapped his arms around Bronte once more. "Good to see you both are safe now, Mick. It was good to see you again, Melissa."

"Thank you, Gibbs, for coming all of this way to help Callen and his team find us. You too, Tony." Melissa shook Tony's hand and gave Gibbs a hug.

Hetty and Bronte looked between them, curious to know exactly the details on what had gone down. But the main thing was that Mick and Melissa were now safe and could go home with their children and not fear about being taken captive again. But Bronte was too much like her mother, it was no surprise once the Nassirs, Gibbs and Tony left, did she start inquiring for more information.

"Not much to tell, Bron. All you need to know is that Mick and Melissa are safe and the danger has been eliminated."

Hetty watched on and she knew her team leader well. He's hiding something. She'd seen it in Mick's eyes too. Not just today, but when Greg and Carrie were killed. Mick knows something and Callen now knows what it is. And I'll put my house on it, Gibbs knows it too, she pondered to herself. She brought a tray of tea out onto the verandah and joined Callen and Bronte who watched Michael and Max continue the leaf fight that Callen had enjoyed earlier with them and Ella. "Nothing like a good cup of tea to end the day with. You must both be exhausted. How about I cook you all dinner over at my place tonight?" She looked between them and suddenly doubted that either would even make it. They both looked shattered, which she realised was unusual for Callen. For a man who rarely slept, he looked like he was carrying the weight of the universe on his shoulders.

"I'll think we'll pass, Mom. But thank you. I've had a long day, starting early in D.C. I can't believe that Gibbs and Tony can return straight away and not want a good night's sleep first." She rested her head on Callen's shoulder, her eyes closed and soon her breathing evened and deepened.

"Why don't the four of you stay here for the night, Mr Callen. It looks like the boys are happy here. Have you thought about moving into a larger house?" Callen looked around and nodded. "I have, but the hassle of finding a good neighbourhood and a house at our price has put us off from looking. Plus we've been so busy with work of late." Callen gently moved hair from off Bronte's face and kissed her on the temple.

"Why don't you move in here. The four of you look so relaxed her. I don't think I've ever seen you so happy with the kids before today."

Hetty stood up with the empty cups of tea and pot.

"Think about it. After what I witnessed earlier, I can see that the two of you might be thinking of expanding your family."

Callen raised his brow in surprise.

"I don't think Bronte could go there again, Hetty. After all that she's lost already, it's a big step for her."

"I know all too well what she's been through. Yet after losing Joshua, she still fell in love with Greg and had Carrie and Max. In time she'll be ready for it. That I am certain. I see it in your eyes, Mr Callen. Your desire to have children with her." She left him alone to ponder on her words. Even if Bronte didn't want to take that step, she wasn't alone anymore, she had Callen to be there with her and she knew that with all that she'd heard from Vance, trouble from the Formosa Cartel would soon be a thing of the past.


	9. Chapter 9

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 9**

She knew that they were keeping something big from her. She'd seen it in Mick's eyes a long time ago and she saw it in his eyes when she'd lost Greg and Carrie. Fear knotted inside her stomach as she laid awake in a strange bed. Callen laid asleep beside her, his breathing was steady and it had deepened, she knew it was safe for her to climb out of the bed. Since she and Max had moved in with him and Michael, Callen had slept the whole night through. It had surprised him at first, as it wasn't something that he was accustomed to. But after five months, he'd revelled in the good nights sleep. Now it was her turn to lay awake, where sleep refused to take her under into the unconscious bliss.

She quietly padded her way down the hallway and found her way out to the front verandah. She sat quietly swinging on the seat and looked out over the garden, the moon eliminating a soft hue over the trees and plants. She found peace on that swing. She wasn't sure why it soothed her so much, but all throughout the day, she found sitting on that swing seat provided the peace she sought. Being left in the dark over a case was never her strong suit. It was her best friend and his wife whose lives were in danger, as she tried to direct her attention to their children for distraction. Callen had done a great job with the children and with her, before he headed off for the mission. However, what went on after that remained a mystery. She should be thankful that Mick and Mel were safe and had returned home with Ella and Thomas. And she was, but she needed to know what really went down. Why were they taken and by whom. Mick's answer to her question which she had directed to Callen had taken her by surprise. It also proved to her that he was protecting her. But from what?

When Callen awoke at six the next morning, he was surprised to find the bed beside him empty. He felt the sheets and frowned at how cold they felt. They should be warm from Bronte's body. He climbed out of the bed and he went in search for her.

After scouring the house, he found her asleep on the front verandah. With a cardigan pulled up over her slim body, she was fast asleep. She looked peaceful, just how he liked to see her when she didn't worry about things. He also loved to see her laugh. He'd managed the day before to get her to laugh from his silly antics with the kids, which he was thankful for and he hoped that it provided the much needed distraction from reality. He left her be and entered the house to prepare the coffee machine and breakfast. Max and Michael would wake up soon and they would be hungry. Especially after all the running around that they had done the day before.

It was good for them to just play, he acknowledged. No toys were required, although a ball was always handy to have around to throw, kick and bounce. Yesterday had been a turning point for all of them, he realised. Bronte had been forced to finally tell him the last of her secrets and he saw now when he looked at her, the peace it had given her. He knew there had been something that she had kept from him over the past six months, but he hadn't been able to put a finger on it. And he'd finally let go around the kids. He relaxed and enjoyed the pleasure of fatherhood and he loved every moment of it. He hadn't felt eyes watching him, assessing on how he was doing bonding with his son, or with Max. Although both boys were easy to get to know and were well behaved, he'd held back. He wasn't sure on why yesterday was any different, but maybe it was this house, as Hetty had mentioned to him the night before.

"Good morning, sleepy heads." He signed to Max as he greeted his son at the same time. He threw a pancake over his head from the pan and cheered when it landed on a plate. He poured more pancake mix into the pan and delivered another pancake over to Max, one he'd made already. He was greeted with smiles from both boys who poured maple syrup and blueberries on their pancakes. The boys tucked into their breakfast and drank the milk he'd poured out for them. He felt hands wrap around him from behind and knew that Bronte had woken.

"Morning, beautiful." He turned and caught her up into a dance as he moved around the kitchen to place the next pancake onto a plate. He leaned down and caught her lips in a morning kiss.

"Morning."

She noted that he'd slept well and that he was in a good mood. It gave her hope that she was worrying for nothing. But with all that she'd been through, she couldn't shake the worrying that continued to fester inside her.

"This looks good."

He handed her the pancake and coffee.

"Thanks, G."

"You're welcome, Bron." He narrowed his eyes and noticed the bags under her eyes.

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

Bronte shrugged.

"I have no idea. My brain refused to shut down."

Callen placed the pan back down on the stove top and took her properly in his arms. He lifted her chin up to look at him.

"What's bothering you?"

"I don't know, G. This last case that I've been left in the dark on, for starters. Why won't you tell me about it?"

Callen looked over her shoulder towards their sons and then returned his attention back to her.

"There's nothing to tell you. You worry too much."

"For good reason."

She turned and watched Max and Michael place their plates in the sink and head for the bathroom to clean their teeth. She faced Callen again and frowned.

"I know when I'm being kept in the dark, G. Now spill, I'll only read your reports about the case anyway."

Callen sucked in this cheeks as he mulled over how he was going to tell her.

"We've already written up our reports. They've been sent through to Vance. He wanted them ASAP, seeing it's related to the operation he's been overseeing for the past four months."

Bronte furrowed her brow and set her chin taut, annoyed.

"You've what? Now I know that you're hiding something from me."

She let him go and stormed off for the bedroom.

Callen watched on and knew that this was going to be harder than he thought. He hoped that it didn't cause grief in their personal lives. He cleaned up from breakfast and grabbed his car keys. He found her in the shower as he entered the bathroom to clean his teeth.

"Are you going to be ready to drop the boys off at Ron and Andrea's or do you want me to return to pick you up after?"

"You take the boys over and come back to pick me up. I'll need to do my hair and makeup after this."

He nodded and exited, leaving her alone in her thoughts.

**_The Mission_**

The day involved a new case that kept them busy for most of the day, which Callen was thankful for. Bronte brooded at her desk, keeping her focus on the paperwork that she hadn't gotten to since she'd left for D.C. a few days earlier. He could see the line in her forehead of concentration over her work and he hoped that it was all that kept her focus and not the Formosa Cartel. But what Callen didn't know was that Bronte had spent a great deal of the night thinking and trying to piece together things. From her time in San Francisco, when she first saw that look in Mick's eyes, to New York, when she lost her husband and daughter and then to yesterday. She already knew that the Formosa Cartel were to blame for Greg and Carrie's deaths and that Mick had been involved in bringing them down for revenge. So she at least had a start on trying to figure things out. But that was all. She delved into files from everything that she could find on the cartel. She brought an image up of the Formosa family and her body shivered at the sight of them. None of them looked like they would have been a loving family. How could they be when they killed for a living? Not just with their guns, but through the drugs they distributed into the U.S., killing young men and women, some of them still boys and girls. Young lives lost from a drug that this cartel dealt in for money. With everything that she could find on them, her stomach continued to churn.

It was the son of Luis Formosa who caught her attention. His eyes were dark and evil and stared out from the screen at her as if he was seeping into her soul. She looked at the report to what his name was and furrowed her brow. Adán Formosa. It was the name of the man who had gunned Greg and Carrie down. In the past, she'd been kept away from ever seeing the face of their killer. A tear escaped as she looked the man in the eyes. Although it was only a photo on the screen, the man made her body shudder. She fisted her hands tight as she tried to control the anger that surged through her body. She googled his name and found a news report, declaring that the the son of the Formosa Cartel, who had taken over the reigns of the family's business had been killed in Los Angeles the day before. Details of his death had not been released but a representative from the D.E.A. stated that it was a result of long ongoing investigation into the Cartel's import of cocaine into the country.

Relief washed over her. Their killer was dead. But it was the sketchy details that had her look up over at Callen who sat at his own desk with his back to her that had her wondering. Did they kill him yesterday? Was he the one who had kidnapped Mick and Melissa? Why was it that so many people dear to her had died or had been kidnapped by this cartel? She shook her head and stood up from the desk. She needed to clear her head. She shut her laptop down and walked to the firing range. She loaded her weapon with a fresh set of bullets and fired at the imaginary target. In her mind, the drawn figure on the sheet of paper was Adán Formosa. Now she had an image in her mind and she used that image to fire her weapon. Anger surged through her body as she fired her weapon, until all bullets had been discharged.

"I think you killed him the first time. I assume it was a him."

Callen leaned on the back wall behind her and revealed to her that he had watched her.

Bronte turned and glared at him.

"Why are you in here? Don't you have a case to work on?"

He picked up on her annoyance in her tone, but chose to ignore it.

"Because I'm worried about you. Something's eating at you and prevented you from sleeping last night. I wish that you would talk to me, Bron."

He remained where he was, knowing that she would only push him away.

"Huh! That's funny, you know, coming from you. When you tell me about yesterday's case, then I will tell you what's bothering me."

She pressed the button for the sheet to move forward and replaced it. Once it was back into position, she reloaded her gun and fired again. Every muscle in her body screamed in anger as she fired the bullets into Adán Formosa's head and heart. She had killed him twelve times already, but she was determined to keep killing him until the anger left her. She continued to go through the actions of clipping in a new sheet and reloading. Callen watched on until Sam entered and dragged him away to chase up a lead.

Once alone, she crumbled and cried into her hands. Her body shook as her grief over what she had lost and almost lost took hold of her. She hated this man more than any man she'd ever encountered. She knew she was being unreasonable with Callen shutting him out like that, but she couldn't help it. She needed to know the truth. Why had Adán killed Greg and Carrie and kidnapped Mick and Melissa? She'd worked it out that he was the one behind it, and she was determined to get to the bottom of the truth.


	10. Chapter 10

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 10**

Days blurred into each other and soon a few weeks had passed by. Callen looked on in despair as he watched Bronte become skin and bone, hardly eating and the bags under her eyes deepened. He'd had enough of what the Formosa case was doing to her, whether she knew the truth or not. He'd had enough watching her destroy herself from the inside. He called around to see Mick who was still on leave after a year of back to back operations, to spend the time with his family.

"I'm worried about Bronte, Mick. She's not sleeping, hardly eating and she looks like death warmed up."

Mick sighed and shook his head.

"It's my fault, Callen. I should have been honest with her from the beginning. But I couldn't. If you had seen the state I found her in after I rescued her from Adán fifteen years ago, you would see why I chose to keep it from her. But I never thought that the Columbian would go in search for her and his son. After Joshua died, she was a mess and when she transferred to New York, I thought she'd be safe there. Far away from where she'd been kidnapped and drugged."

He couldn't go on to talk about what else she had gone through. The memories of that day remained ingrained into his mind like it happened yesterday.

"I never envisioned that he would find her in New York and kill Greg and Carrie. I was in shock and yet I still found myself lying to her. Agreeing with everyone else that he'd been burned from his undercover op within the cartel. That's why it was so important for me to go undercover to stop them from bringing the drugs into our country. I needed to do something. I felt so helpless."

Callen placed his hand on Mick's shoulder for comfort. "I know. I would have done the same thing in your position. But keeping it from her is not helping her anymore. We need to do something to help her."

"I'll talk to Gibbs. He might know what to do."

That night, Bronte screamed out in her sleep. It was another restless one, but this one was a nightmare. She was in a dark alley with her gun at the ready and she had been separated from her partner, Mick. She felt a hand over her mouth and a needle pierce the skin in her neck. Everything went blank until she found herself tied up in a dark room. The air was musky and thick and her hands were tied up to a post. She tried to free her hands but it was no good. She was on something soft, but it smelt horrid. She felt nauseas as she realised that she was held prisoner.

She thrashed in the bed from fear. Her nightmare felt so very real to her and sweat beaded along her brow and her body. Callen tried to soothe her out of the nightmare without any luck.

She heard footsteps come closer and for the first time since waking up, she realised that she wasn't alone in the room. The man's face looked evil, his dark brown eyes stared into her own eyes and fear for her life made her scream. He laughed at her fear and placed his hand over her mouth to muffle it. He sat down on the bed beside her and gently guided his hand up the inside of her leg. She moved in protest as he grabbed her crotch hard. Pain surged through her body as she tried to scream out for help. He went gentle again, causing confusion from her.

Callen watched on in frustration as Bronte screamed a horrid shrill out of her mouth and fought him off her. Her breathing became rapid and her body dripped with sweat as she continued to be trapped in her dream. He dialled his cell and asked for Mick to come over immediately. Mick had more experience with dealing with Bronte, this was a whole new situation he'd found himself in with her. He couldn't ring Hetty, she was still on strict rest from stress, orders from the doctor.

Bronte's stomach churned as she felt helpless from what this man was doing to her. Touching her in places no man should unless she permitted it. The man smiled and sucked hard on her nipple, causing sensations that she shouldn't have been feeling. This was wrong. So very wrong. He had control over her body where she did not and it scared her even more than being held captive by him.

She sat up panting, her breathing remained quick as the adrenalin continued to surge through her body after she had escaped the nightmare. She looked like a wild cat as she stared at a worried Callen.

"It's okay, Bron. You're safe."

He tried to soothe her by rubbing his hands up and down her arms, but she was in such a state, her eyes were wild and her pupils enlarged. Her body shook as she tried to calm down from the nightmare. It felt so very real to her that it freaked her out. The sensations the fear, the man's eyes. She shook her head as she realised who the man had been. Adán Formosa.

A knock at the door caught Callen's attention, giving her the opportunity to escape and she locked herself in the bathroom. When Callen returned with Mick, they sighed and looked over at each other with worry for her knowing that she had locked them out. But they waited like she knew that they would. There was a lot of goodness in both men that had drawn her to them in the first place. Neither man would hurt her and they would risk their lives to protect her. She knew that already, yet it frustrated her that they had hidden something from her. She knew now that Callen had been told by Mick exactly what it was that Mick had been protecting her from for all of those years.

Tears poured down her face as she remembered the horror that her brain had shut out fifteen years earlier. "Oh Joshua. You were so very much loved. You were our angel. A light in our dark world." The reality of truth hit her with a bang. Her precious son had been the result of evil, not love. She took in a ragged breath as she realised the lengths that Mick had gone to, to protect her. She remembered it all now. How Mick had rescued her, although she was not in a fit state to respond to him. She had been drugged when Adán had finished his sessions with her. It kept her quiet until he was ready to taunt her again. She choked on a sob that escaped her mouth and when Callen unpicked the lock, they found her curled up in a ball, rocking herself and crying. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to soothe her. He picked her up and carried her back to the bed and pulled the quilt over her body.

Callen left Mick to sit with her, while he prepared for a new day. Michael had woken from hearing Bronte's screams but he had managed to keep him out of the bedroom. Max was worried and refused to eat his breakfast when he saw the look of worry in both of their eyes. Callen caught his attention and signed to him.

"If you don't eat, whose going to be strong for your Mom?"

Max looked in the direction of the bedroom before capitulating and ate his breakfast. He understood what Callen was getting at. While his mom was unwell, the rest of them needed to look after themselves so they could be strong for her.

Callen not only worried about Bronte, but the effects her downward spiral was having on her son, Max. He was a great kid, who'd watched her deteriorate in recent weeks and he had tried his best to pull her out of it. But this nightmare that had held her under this morning had him worried. He'd called Nate for help and he'd promised to be there in a few days. But the situation had gotten worse and he daren't leave her alone in the house. He had work to do, they both did, but she was far from doing her job. Hetty had returned on a temporary basis after admitting to him a week before that she had resigned and Bronte had been awarded the position full time. She'd passed her psych evaluation, but that was before Mick and Melissa had been kidnapped. It was the event that had made her snap. Something that not even the death of Greg and Carrie had achieved. It had something to do with Mick, Callen realised, which is why he allowed him to sit with her. He knew her much better than most and he prayed that he could be of some form of help.

Callen dropped the boys off at Ron and Andrea's and was so thankful to have them help them out, especially with Bronte being in the state that she was in. She needed help and to talk to someone, but getting her there was going to be a challenge. Nate couldn't get there in time, so he'd recommended a woman who was good helping agents to deal with difficult situations they faced in their line of work. Fiona Carter was a woman in her forties with two sons. She'd worked in the field of psychology for twenty years and was well respected amongst her peers. As a favour for Nate, she'd found a slot to fit Bronte in.

Callen talked to Bronte like he did any normal morning, but her attention remained elsewhere until she noticed the change in direction. At first she wondered if it was just another detour, so they wouldn't be followed, until Callen pulled into a multi storey car park in downtown Los Angeles. She hesitated on why they were there and eventually he admitted the truth.

"You need to talk to someone, Bron. We're all so worried about you. I can't watch you kill yourself. I love you too much for that. Please, Bron. If not for yourself, for Max and for me."

Bronte was too exhausted to fight and allowed him to lead her towards the elevator. She remained quiet up to the twentieth floor, where they exited and walked down a corridor to a suite. When Callen opened the door, he held it opened and his heart sank when he watched Bronte, a mere shell of herself walk in and sit down. He walked over to the receptionist and told her that Bronte was there to see Dr Carter, before joining her in the waiting room.

Within five minutes, Fiona Carter exited and walked straight over to Bronte. She saw the worry in Callen's eyes and she knew why Nate had asked her to fit her in.

"Hello, Bronte. I'm Fiona Carter. Let's go into my office for some tea."

Callen sat back and watched the two women walk away and looked at his watch. It was just after eight in the morning and he wondered how long she would be in there. He picked up a magazine and flipped through the pages before discarding it and picking up another. After an hour and a half, the door opened and Fiona walked over to him.

"Mr Callen. Please come with me." He followed her into another room and closed the door behind them.

"I need to speak with you alone. Bronte's been talking, which is a really good sign. But there are things that are confusing her and I need clarification if she is really remembering something that has actually happened or if it's a distortion of the truth."

Callen furrowed his brow, his heart pounded in his chest as Fiona played the recording of some of what Bronte had told her. His hands fisted in his lap and tears welled up in his eyes as he listened to Bronte describe in great detail her time in captivity with Adán Formosa. He quickly wiped the tears away and looked at the doctor.

"She's remembered." He rubbed his hand over his face and was at a lost of what to do next.

"So it's true then. That she was taken captive and this man she mentions, did all of those things to her."

Callen nodded.

"I didn't know her back then, but her best friend, her old partner, Mick, he knows all about it. We had a difficult case a few weeks back, Mick and his wife were abducted. We were trying to solve who had taken them and it was then I realised how similar Mick's wife and Bronte looked. It was then that we discovered that she had a child with Mick, but he got sick with leukaemia at one and at eighteen months he died. Only to find out by another colleague who had been told by Mick, what really had happened. Their son was a result of her time in captivity. She had no memory of this time. Mick thought it was best to protect her and pretend that the child was his. Then he died and she asked for a transfer, to get away from the memories of their son. She moved to New York where she met Greg and they married. They had two children together. Carrie was ten when she was gunned down along with her father by this man who," the emotions of the whole events was too much for Callen. He needed a breather. There was so much to tell this doctor, in hope that she might be able to help Bronte heal from this. He stood up and walked over to the window and watched the goings on below at street level. When he turned around, he saw Bronte standing in the doorway.

"I needed to know if it was true," she stepped forward.

"This was the only way to confirm if I was going mad, or," Callen moved the rest of the way over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her on the forehead and shed some more tears.

"I love you, Bron. I want to help you. Show me how I can do this."

He looked down at her and watched her nod.

"You just did. I knew that Mick had told you. The way you and Mick tried to hide what had happened that day when you rescued them. I had seen it in his eyes before. On two previous occasions. The only thing I didn't understand was why he had that look back when we were partners in San Francisco. But then the nightmare I had this morning. It felt so real. I could feel everything that he did to me. It was then I realised what had happened and why Mick tried to protect me."

Tears poured down her cheeks as she tried to rein in her emotions.

"That's why he killed Greg and Carrie, isn't it? Because of me."

It broke Callen's heart to see her like this, but not telling her was doing more damage than to be honest with her.

"Mick seems to think so. He had all the evidence against him in a locked file. When they went missing, not even Eric could get into it. We managed to find out that Gibbs had access to it and when he arrived in L.A. to help find Mick and Melissa, I tried to get him to open it up."

He wiped her tears from her eyes and kissed her on the lips.

"Gibbs only showed me, only the three of us know what really happened that day. But he took Melissa, because the men he hired thought she was you. But he knew they had taken the wrong woman. He wanted you to find your son."

It was difficult for him to tell her this, but he saw in her eyes that she knew the truth now.

"Mick told him that he'd died and he then became determined to get hold of you. Mick tricked him and called me instead of you. Mick was supposed to trade you for Melissa. If you didn't come, he was going to take Melissa back to Columbia with him. We came up with a plan and took him and his two goons down. His goons were arrested but Sam killed him. No one else knows why he was after you. They all think it's because of him wanting to get to Max from witnessing the shooting in New York."

He led her to sit down and take it all in. He watched her process the information as she furrowed her brow and had that far away look in her eyes.

When she was finished she returned to him and looked him directly into his eyes. "Thank you, G. For being honest with me."

She stood up and paced the floor. She looked over at the doctor, who had become a fly on the wall for the most part.

"Thank you, Dr Carter. I didn't realise just how much I needed that."

Fiona Carter leaned forward in her seat.

"What are you going to do now?" She was impressed on how well Callen and Bronte related with each other and that he was honest with her. That was the most important factor in all of this. She needed to know the truth. Searching for the truth had led her on this downward spiral.

Bronte shrugged.

"I don't know. Hug Mick for being the best friend anyone could ask for, for starters. Then Sam for killing this monster. I suppose I need to talk some more. A great deal more. I've locked away the pain from losing Joshua for a long time ago, but this has pulled it all back to the surface. And now that the memories have returned, I need to deal with them too."

Fiona gave her a warm smile.

"You're a wise woman, Bronte. Many of my patients spend many months sitting in the chair wondering why they're here before they come to that kind of conclusion."

"I must get that from my mother." Bronte's hand went over her mouth.

"I've got to tell her. I can't hide this from her. Not now that I remember. She'll go crazy trying to work out what's happened to me." She shook her head and went back to pacing.

"But I can't. She's not allowed the stress."

Callen stood and walked over to her. He held her shoulders in both hands.

"Bronte. She can deal with this. Watching you fall away like you have for the past few weeks has affected her more than hearing the truth will. Seeing you deal with this will give her the peace of mind."

It was the truth, it helped him a little, seeing her accept the truth like she had. He knew the nightmares will remain for a while until her brain has completed processing it all.

Bronte looked up into his cerulean orbs and nodded. She knew that Callen was right. It was better to be honest with her mother and with herself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_A/N: Apologies for the delay in this story, if you need to refresh your memory, you can read Lost Too Much and the first ten chapters of this story before you read this one. Thanks for reading._

**Chapter 11**

Callen, Bronte and their sons settled well into their new home with the large verandah and private gardens. Hetty, true to her word, gave them the house as her gift to them. She saw how happy they were there and she hoped that it would help Bronte heal after her recent grief.

Christmas came and went with mixed emotions. They made it a happy one and included the whole team, Gibbs and Abby from D.C. and the Nassir family. And although their house was filled with loved ones and good friends, underneath the surface, the grief simmered for Bronte, Max, Callen and Michael. They missed those they'd loved and lost.

It was their first Christmas together as a family of sorts, the boys were getting along well. Michael picked up sign language quickly and was able to communicate with Max more freely.

Bronte healed slowly from all the grieving she'd locked away. She continued her regular visits with Dr Carter, Nate had recommended her well.

But something appeared to be on Callen's mind. Spring was around the corner, work kept them both busy and distracted.

Bronte busied herself on her laptop, she looked up from her desk and watched Callen disappear with Sam. Her eyes followed them until they moved out of sight.

Sam leaned on the wall in the armoury, curious. He watched his partner pace the room, nervous.

"What is it, G?"

His eyes darted to the two entrances to the room before his eyes settled on the former Navy SEAL.

"This." Callen pulled a small package out of his jeans pocket and handed it to Sam.

Sam's eyes widened and his dimples deepened as a grin spread across his face.

"So this is it, huh?"

"U-huh!" Callen swallowed the hard lump that formed in his throat.

"She makes me happy, Sam. I've never felt this way about any woman, not even with Kristin."

Sam squeezed his shoulder, "I'm happy for you, G. You deserve to be happy."

"I'm worried she'll say no." He heaved out, his nerves getting the better of him.

"You reckon? No. She'll get all teary and say yes. She loves you."

"You love me, but there's no way you'll ever want to be married to me." Callen smirked. He wanted to do this right.

Sam chuckled, "I'm already taken, but yeah, I think I'm married enough to you with this job, I don't think I could deal with your lone wolf tendencies more than I already do.

A chuckle escaped Callen's throat from Sam's witty response.

He turned serious again, "I want us to have kids, our kids. Not just be a family of hers and mine. I want us to have kids that are pieces of her and pieces of me."

"You've settled in better than any of us expected, G. I can see the two of you with little ones running around in no time. After watching you with Ella and Thomas, you're a natural."

"Do you think I can do it?"

"Of course. I've watched you for years with Aidan and Kamran." Sam smiled.

"Look, G. I know you missed the early years with Michael, but the two of you are," he shook his head and chuckled, "are like two peas in a pod. If you have anymore that are a clone of you and Michael, the world will be a better place."

Callen narrowed his eyes, "you're mocking me."

"No, G. I'm being honest with you. Brother to brother."

Callen nodded.

"Thanks." He heaved out a sigh.

"Will you be my best man if she says yes?"

Sam's smiled broadened, "of course."

"Good. Thanks. Okay."

He was talking him into proposing.

"Greg's parents are looking after the boys for the weekend, we're heading up the coast tonight, I just hope Bronte doesn't freak out."

Sam knew what he was referring to, "you've given her time, I would be surprised if she said no."

He looked at Sam cautiously, "I hope you're right."

The day dragged on for Callen, all he wanted was to be out of there and on their way to their weekend destination. He wanted this to be perfect.

Bronte on the other hand became suspicious. She watched Callen swivel his chair from side to side as he worked. Her attention moved over to Sam who looked at his partner from time to time with a hint of a smile on his face.

Callen was up to something. But getting it out of him would mean that she would have to drag him off to her psychologist and get the confession from him. And she doubted Dr Carter could trick Callen into admitting the truth the second time.

Five o'clock came, Callen shut down his laptop and picked up his bag. He walked over to her office and leaned on the edge of the desk.

"Are you almost finished?"

"I've got piles of paperwork, G. You go on ahead, I'll come home later."

Callen frowned, "oh, no, Bron. You are coming with me now."

"What? No. I can't. Vance needs these reports by Monday."

"Then he'll just have to wait. It's after five on a Friday, you are now officially mine. And we're getting out of here."

She felt like a teenage girl, ready to skip school with the cutest boy in class. She sighed.

"Okay. I could do with an early night. Shall we get pizzas on the way home and surprise the boys?"

Callen pulled her up from her chair, "not quite what I had in mind."

Her body shivered, she looked up into his sky blue eyes and felt herself drift deep into them.

"Come, let's get out of here."

He held her hand as they walked past the bull pen and waved goodnight to the rest of the team. She climbed into the passenger seat of his Mercedes and laid her head back to relax.

Traffic in Los Angeles was a killer at peak hour, but on a Friday, it was torturous. It was a good thing Bronte fell asleep soon after leaving the office, they had a long drive ahead of them.

Callen pulled into the driveway of their weekend retreat. It was a French style villa, only a mile walk to the beach. The garden was well tended, with lavender, clematis, daisies and lemon verbena scenting the evening air.

Bronte stirred and opened her eyes. She furrowed her brow and looked over at Callen.

"Where are we?"

"St Tropez?" Callen smirked, "it was the closest I could do in the time limit to have a weekend away in the south of France."

She shifted for a better look, she raised her brow intrigued. "What are you up to, G?"

"Let's go inside, dinner should almost be ready."

"Ready?"

Callen grabbed her and and led her inside the villa, the smell from the kitchen caught her attention immediately. She couldn't help herself, the smell drew her in.

"Père?" Philipe Reinard looked up at hearing his daughter's voice and stopped what he was doing. He moved forward and enveloped her in his arms.

"Bronte, my sweet daughter." He stepped back and studied her. "You look thin. It's a good thing G has asked me to come to cook for you this weekend."

She had lost a considerable amount of weight after the last Formosa Cartel incident, when her memories returned. However, slowly she began to heal, it was a good thing Philipe hadn't seen the state she had been in a few months earlier.

Bronte turned to Callen, "you did this for me?"

Callen nodded, "you've been through a lot, Bron, you need a break after everything. And I thought it was about time you saw your Père again. Callen liked Philipe, he was a gentle man, who was full of passion in the good things, like food.

Bronte shifted from her father towards Callen. "I don't know what to say," she began, her eyes glistening from the tears that threatened.

"No one has ever done anything like this for me."

"You deserve the best, Bron. You deserve to be happy." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently on the the temple.

He felt warm and she revelled in the comfort he provided her. She looked up into his clear blue eyes, "I love you, G."

His heart thumped fast inside his chest.

"I love you too, Bron."

He gently brushed a stray hair from her face and softly touched her lips with his. He wanted to go deeper, take her upstairs and show her just how much he loved her. But he wanted to do this properly. He pulled back and cleared his throat.

"How long do we have before dinner will be ready, Philipe?"

"Half an hour." He looked back into the kitchen, "I better get back to work."

"Merci beaucoup," Callen took Bronte's hand in his and led her upstairs.

"Enough time for you to shower. I'll grab our bags from the car."

Bronte enjoyed the flow of water over her body as she washed the dirt and sweat from her hair and body. When she stepped out of the shower, she felt refreshed from her day. The tiredness that she had succumbed to in the drive up there had left her.

She stepped into the bedroom and halted in her steps. With only a towel wrapped around her, her pulse thrummed under the surface. She looked at the door but she was alone. Draped over the end of the bed was a navy blue dress, sequins sparkled in the light around the bodice. The satin fabric shimmered as she lifted it up for a closer look. The sweetheart neckline and capped sleeved dress was beautiful. She couldn't believe Callen had chosen it all on his own.

She turned at the sound of a knock on the door. Callen peeped his head inside, "how are you going?"

He saw her studying the dress, "do you not like it?"

He worried, it had been a hard decision in choosing the right dress for the occasion.

"It's beautiful," her voice was barely above a whisper from the emotion.

Callen was moved by her reaction to the dress, he walked over to her and wiped the stray tear from her cheek.

"So are you. I hope it's the right fit, I wasn't sure."

Bronte shook her head, "I can't believe you've done all of this for me."

"Believe it, Bron."

He tilted her head up and held her jaw, he leaned down and brushed his lips on hers. He deepened the kiss, but he knew he couldn't get carried away. Not yet anyway.

"I'll be waiting downstairs for you."

She nodded, it was all she could do, her body shook from all the emotions that coursed through her. Callen surprised her over and over, she took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. It had been a while since she'd been spoiled like this. Not since Greg - her eyes darted to the door, realisation hit her hard. She grabbed hold of the edge of the bed and sat. Her heart quickened, her hands shook.

"Get a grip of yourself, Bron. You're being ridiculous," she told herself.

She found a pitcher of water and poured herself a glass and swallowed the contents. Time was passing faster than she realised, she couldn't disappoint her father and be late. She quickly got dressed and did her hair and makeup, sprayed her perfume and slipped her feet into the heeled sandals that Callen had bought to match the dress. She felt like a princess ready to go to the ball. She took another look in the mirror, all that was missing was her jewellery. She furrowed her brow, she did have any with her, then something out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention. A small navy box wrapped in matching ribbon sat on the dresser, a note with her name laid next to it.

She carefully opened the box, "for my beautiful daughter, avec amour, Père. x"

She sniffed, Callen and her father were up to something and she'd figured it out. Flashes of the day skittered across her mind; Callen swivelling his chair, him disappearing to the armoury with Sam, his eagerness to leave at five. The drive up to this Mediterranean style villa and her father downstairs cooking their dinner.

"Okay, Bron, you can do this. It's just a romantic dinner cook Père."

She exited the bedroom and descended the stairs, her muscles tense as she tried to control her nerves. She found Callen standing at the foot of the stairs dressed in a matching navy suit and tie. His eyes sparkled brightly, catching her breath. Her mother had a say in this too, she realised. His suit and tie was definitely her mother's influence.

Callen looked up at Bronte as she reached him, "wow, Bron." He heart beat heavily inside his chest, "you're so beautiful."

"You're not so bad yourself. I never realised you scrubbed up so well." He was a handsome man, but tonight, he was dashing and nerves fluttered inside her stomach."

His smile widened, "I hope you're hungry, your Père has cook us up a masterpiece."

"Dinner is," Philipe exited the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. His eyes glistened with tears. He'd been in this situation before, when Greg had propose, but this was the first time he was actually present at the occasion. He swallowed the hard lump that had formed in his throat.

"Bronte, you are my evening star." He stepped forward, lifted her hand and kissed it.

"How did I become so lucky to have you as my daughter?"

"Père, really. You are too kind. It's me who's the lucky one, to have you as my Père."

She hugged him briefly, taking in the smells his hair and clothing had absorbed from the kitchen.

"Dinner smells delicious."

"Merci beaucoup. I will serve you in a few minutes."

He left them alone to rein in his emotions. His daughter had found happiness again, he prayed that this time Callen remained safe. He worried what would happen to her if she lost him. He shook his head of the negative thoughts as he prepared their starters.

Callen led her outside to the courtyard. Lamps in old rusted urns scattered around the bordered garden lit the scene up perfectly. Fairy lights hung above on the pergola among the purple wisteria and a large vanilla candle burned inside a hurricane vase. The setting was perfect, the company more so.

"Callen, this is," she looked over at him "perfect."

"You're perfect, Bron. In every single way."

Callen licked his lips from nerves, the moment was here, he really needed to do it now or else he'd be too nervous to eat. He dropped to one knee, he pulled the ring out from his pocket.

"Bronte, I have loved you for as long as I have known you. You have brought so much goodness into my life I never thought I could have. You give me purpose to wake up every morning and to ensure I make it through each and every day. I want to spend every day of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

His heart thumped inside his chest, he looked up into her eyes, tears fell down her cheeks.

Bronte had worked out what was coming, she was glad she had, else she'd be in worse of a state than she was now. But even so, her emotions overwhelmed her. It was difficult for her to speak, she nodded.

"Yes, G." She eventually managed to say.

Callen slipped the sapphire and diamond platinum ring onto her slim finger, kissing the back of her hand as he stood up before her.

"I love you, Bron."

He gently wiped the tears from her face and placed a kiss in its place.

Bronte's body shuddered. From emotion and the effects Callen had on her.

"I love you too, G."

She leaned into him and kissed him firmly on the lips.

Philipe exited the house holding two plates and smiled. _She said yes,_ was all he could think. His heart swelled, he couldn't be more proud of her. He cleared his throat, catching their attention.

Bronte blushed and stepped back, "you knew."

Philipe nodded.

"Of course. G asked for my permission."

Philipe had been pleased, he liked Callen and he was thrilled his matchmaking on his last trip had worked better than he'd anticipated. He saw the glow on her face when she was with Callen. She deserved to be happy, especially after losing Joshua, Greg and Carrie.

He place their starters on the table and hugged her.

"Congratulations, my beautiful girl."

"Merci beaucoup, Père."

He turned and shook Callen's hand, "congratulations, I know you'll take good care of her and make her happy. Now you eat your dinner and I'll bring out the champagne to celebrate."

"Merci, Philipe,"

Callen smiled over to his future father-in-law. He had no memories of his real father, he wasn't certain if he was still alive. But he liked the idea of having Philipe as his Père.

_A/N: Reviews welcome._


	12. Chapter 12

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 12**

The weekend was perfect in so many ways. Inviting Philipe to be their chef for the weekend earned Callen more brownie points. They relaxed, walked lazily to the beach and along the sandy shores till the sun went down. There was nothing anyone could complain about except it went too fast. Before either of them knew it they were pulling into the mission ready for another week. Callen couldn't suppress his grin, he knew Sam would pick up on it immediately. They'd arrived back to Los Angeles early to tell their boys the news, both had goofy grins spread across their faces. They couldn't be happier. It was what the boys needed, something concrete to make them family. Callen returned to the pile of paperwork on his desk and waited for the rest of his team to arrive. His face had been kissed by the sun, the pale skin of winter had gone in both of them. Bronte particularly looked much healthier since the Nassirs had been taken by the Formosa Cartel. Since the head had been killed, the cartel had disbanded, but they knew that other cartels popped up in its place. Intelligence gathering continued to keep an eye on the Columbian situation and any future threats on the states. So far all was well, but they knew it was a matter of time before one popped up on their radar and caused problems for them.

But they weren't the only ones that had made the most of their weekend. Marty Deeks and Kensi Blye had spent their weekend at the beach surfing. Deeks had taught Kensi how to surf in the past, just as partners, but this weekend was not about partners of the work kind. Finally after what felt like months of mixed communication, they crossed the line and became a boy and a girl who were falling in love. The first signs something was different was how quiet they were when they entered the mission. The second was how relaxed and comfortable they were in each others company. Callen managed to suppress his own excitement and watched them closely, giving his partner looks when he thought they weren't looking. It gave Callen the perfect distraction from off him and Bronte.

"How was your weekend, G?" Sam finally asked, they were heading off to the gym for hand to hand combat training. They needed to stretch their muscles after the morning sitting at their desks.

"Perfect." His wide grin returned, "she said yes."

Sam pulled him in for a man hug, "congrats, G. I'm so happy for you both. So when's the date?"

"A month away."

Sam raised his brow, "so fast?"

"Before she changes her mind." Callen stretched his muscles ready for Sam to attack. They stood on the mat at the ready.

Nell popped her head in, "we have a case. You're needed up in Ops immediately. She dashed back out, and she sat as if she never left her station when the partners arrived moments later to be filled in.

"What have we got?" Callen looked at the images up on the screen. It looked like a marine had been murdered from where he stood.

"Master Gunnery Sergeant Matthew Wilkinson's body was found this morning by his wife. She'd been away for the past week with their three children, visiting her parents in Florida." Callen shifted his eyes to Bronte, he noticed her body tense.

"We're waiting on an autopsy to determine how long he's been dead. From initial reports, the stabbing he sustained to the abdomen looks like the cause of death. There's a lot of blood pooled around his body on the wooden floor."

"Sam and I will speak with the wife. Deeks and Kensi, you speak with his Commanding Officer." They nodded and left, the addresses were already on their cells, Eric and Nell were efficient.

"I'll feel much better when Bronte stops reacting to cases that reminds her of losing Greg," Callen heaved out to his partner.

"It takes time, G. She may never get over it."

"She looked well for the first time in months this morning, now she looks pale like when Mick and Melissa were abducted."

"I noticed. I can have Michelle talk with her if you like?"

Callen shook his head, "she'll know I've spoken to you about it if you do. Thanks, but I think this is something I'm going to have to speak to Nate's friend, Dr Carter."

"She still seeing her?"

"Yes. She needs to, I don't know how long, but she pushed her grief away and avoided it for so long, especially with Joshua."

"This visit isn't going to be an easy one, you know that, don't you G?" He knew Sam spoke from the personal front, the wife who'd just lost her husband in a brutal manner.

Callen sighed, "I know. Now I'm a parent and about to get married, these sorts of cases will be too close to home. At least it's not the wife that's dead, I can deal with that."

"You still worry about her after what Formosa did to her, don't you?"

"I don't think I'll ever stop. It's a good thing Hetty's retired and placed her safe inside the office."

"Where she can watch you place yourself in danger everyday on the job. It's not going to be pretty for her, G."

Callen caught Sam's gaze, "I'm trying to not think about it."

"Vance may want to move her out of the office where she can't be affected from making the right decision once he finds out the two of you are engaged."

Callen furrowed his brow, "he wouldn't would he?"

"It only works for Michelle and I because we work for different agencies. And the fact she retired when we had Kamran."

"Until an old case comes up and they have to take up old aliases again. I saw what it did to you, Sam."

"Be prepared for it to happen, G. Bronte's an experienced agent with a career spanning fifteen years in our agency. She's bound to have made enemies, not just the psychotic Formosa."

Callen pondered on Sam's words, it was one thing for Bronte to worry about him. He could deal with it knowing he'd survived so much already and he had Sam watching his back. But he couldn't watch her in danger again. He hoped nothing else from her past came back to haunt her, especially the toll the Formosa Cartel had on her. That was more than enough to last a lifetime.

Sam pulled up at the victim's home. They showed their id's to the local police and they moved underneath the police tape. The blood and body had been removed, it was a good thing, there had been so much blood. But blood splatters on the walls remained. They looked at the tape on the floor where their victim died in relation to the blood splatter.

"He was standing over here," Callen noted. "Then he struggled this way before he fell to the floor. Why did he move in this direction, the phone is over here?" Callen furrowed his brow in concentration. He walked in the direction the victim had moved. He stopped and turned around trying to figure it out. He squatted and scanned the area. He narrowed his eyes and then he spotted it. Underneath the sofa he found a thumb drive. He pulled his black latex gloves on and picked it up. "I think that Wilkinson was trying to protect whatever is on this."

"We'll get it to Eric for analysis." Sam frowned, "not a nice welcome home with the kids in tow." Just as Sam finished speaking, the assigned Detective, Christopher Devon entered the room.

"The wife is sitting out back, but I don't think she can tell you anything, she only arrived home this morning."

"She might have an idea over who might want her husband dead," Sam replied.

"If you don't need me, I've got another case."

"Thanks for keeping the scene preserved."

"Not a problem." Detective Devon hated cases like this, such a brutal killing, he was pleased to be passing the case over to NCIS. He had enough on his plate as it was.

Callen and Sam exited the rear of the house and found Wilkinson's wife, Emily. "Mrs Wilkinson, I'm Special Agent Callen and this is my partner, Special Agent Hanna. We're with NCIS. We would like to ask you some questions." Emily Wilkinson stared out into the garden, her thoughts far away into the abyss. "Mrs Wilkinson?"

Emily's gaze shifted to her visitors. "I'm sorry, I just can't believe he's gone." Her body shuddered from the memory of finding her husband's body.

"We're sorry for your loss."

Callen and Sam sat down at the outdoor table. "I found this in the living room, do you know what's on it that would have him killed?"

She shook her head, "I've never seen that thumb drive before."

"I think your husband was trying to hide it from whoever tried to kill him."

She furrowed her brows, "why would someone kill him for something so small?"

"Unfortunately it looks like they did." Callen watched the woman closely, she was still in shock. He wondered if this is what Bronte had been like after losing Greg and Carrie. He shook the thoughts from his head, he needed to focus. "Do you have any camera surveillance around the house?"

She shook her head, "no. We never had the need for any. It's always been a safe neighbourhood."

Not anymore, Callen thought. He knew the neighbourhood from his youth. It had been one of the good foster families, although he only stayed for four weeks. "If you can think of anything, please call us." Callen gave her his business card. There wasn't anything else they could do from here, they needed to get the thumb drive back to Eric for answers.

**_Office of Special Projects_**

Kensi and Deeks entered the old Water Commission building and climbed the stairs. "Any word from Callen or Sam?" Kensi had expected to see them when they entered Ops.

"No. They could be still talking to the wife." Nell continued typing away at her computer, searching for anything to help find the killer.

"They left before us, Callen called us. He said he found a thumb drive near the victim's body, he thinks that whatever is on it might be why he was killed."

Nell knitted her brows together, "they should be back."

Before she could say anything to Eric, he had Sam's GPS locator on his challenger brought up on the screen. "That's odd."

"What is?"

"It says that the challenger is in the multi-storey carpark at the Beverly Centre. Why would they be there? If they have evidence, they wouldn't do anything to prevent them from coming here. This doesn't make sense."

"Can you look at any cameras in the parking lot to see if his vehicle is there?"

"On it." Eric brought up live feeds of the said Beverly Centre carpark, after a few minutes, he found Sam's challenger.

"No signs of Sam or Callen."

"Go back fifteen minutes," Deeks suggested. They watched the feed from earlier, Sam pulled the challenger into the car parking spot, Callen beside him. Both men quickly exited the vehicle, they scanned the area and bolted for the stairs. "They're being followed." Deeks stepped closer. "Can you see who?" They watched as an unmarked van entered the same level car park and pulled up beside the challenger. They looked around and three men left for the stairs. "Kensi and I are on our way, call LAPD for backup." Deeks and Kensi bolted out of Ops and ran swiftly down the stairs and out the door for their silver SUV.

Bronte looked up from her laptop, she had expected Callen and Sam to be back by now, she'd seen the junior partners arrive and rush out the door. She was a curious creature, she ran up the stairs, two by two and entered the sliding doors. Her heart stopped for a brief moment, security images of Callen and Sam running with three men chasing them. "What's going on?"

Eric and Nell jumped at the sound of her voice. "Callen and Sam should have returned by now, Eric searched for the GPS in Sam's car, he located them at the Beverly Centre multi-storey car park. We couldn't understand why they didn't come back here. Kensi said Callen found a thumb drive at the victim's home. It looks like someone figured Callen and Sam have it, he thinks that Wilkinson was killed for whatever is on it."

Shivers ran down her spine. Fear for Callen and Sam rushed through her. "Have either of them issued agent in distress code yet?"

"No."

"They must think they're okay. Call them." She waited with her hands gripped hard on the table. Her knuckles went white like marble. She hoped Deeks and Kensi arrived to back them up soon.

"They're not picking up." Frustration seeped through in Nell's voice.

Eric brought up more camera footage. "They've moved into a more public place, they're on the ground level of the the Beverly Centre."

"They're probably trying to get lost in the crowds. Try their cells again." Nell dialled Sam's cell this time.

"Now's not a good time, Nell."

"We're watching you on the security cameras. Deeks and Kensi are on their way. LAPD are sending some units."

"Good. We need to lead them away from the crowds. Can't afford to have innocents get caught in the crossfire."

"You can hide in the crowds, wait for backup."

"We think there's a tracking device in this thumb drive G's found. We were followed from Wilkinson's house. Couldn't afford to have us traced back to any of our safe houses."

"Good move. There's an Apple store, ask an employee to take you through to the back to upload the data and send it through to us."

Sam scanned the shops, "I see it, it's on the first floor. G, up there." Sam pointed to the the Apple store and they bolted up the stairs.

Ten tech employees stood waiting to help customers as they entered. Another fifteen were busy with customers already. Callen walked up to one who looked fairly senior, although they all looked like they were fresh out of college. The man was serving a customer, he was taken aback by Callen's abruptness. "Sorry, government business, we need your help. Get someone else to serve the customer." He showed his badge and the man quickly called a free employee over.

"Shane will help you," he told his customer. He led Callen and Sam through to the back into the secured area. The adrenaline pumped through their veins.

"We don't have much time. We need to upload what's on here to a secure system, can you help us?"

The man nodded. "Of course." Richard logged into a Macbook Pro and handed it over to Callen. Callen inserted the thumb drive and typed into the office's secure system.

"Are you getting this, Nell?" Sam remained on the cell with her until he knew they had the information.

"Yes. It's all uploaded. You will need to destroy the thumb drive."

"No." Nell could hear Callen's voice in the background. He turned to Richard.

"Do you know how to safely pull one of these apart?"

Richard nodded."What am I looking for?"

"A tracking device of some sort."

The Apple store manager nodded and quickly worked on dissembling the thumb drive. "Found it." In a matter of a minute, Richard had found the tracking device. Sam took it off him and crushed it underneath his boots.

"We need to get out of here without being seen."

"Back door. I'll show you." Richard led them through, the excitement pulsated through his body. He hoped the Federal Agents remained safe. He'd watched the Bourne movies, he was a big fan.

"Thanks." Callen and Sam ran along the corridor that led to another car park. They knew they had to search for where they left the challenger. Callen was pleased that Sam was more familiar with the mall.

"This way." He followed his partner, they ran up a flight of stairs, but Sam halted. "Damn."

"What?"

"They left their driver watching my car. We're blocked in."

"Kensi and Deeks are almost there." Nell responded.

"Tell them to meet us at my vehicle, we have a problem getting out of here."

"We can see you," Nell advised, watching their every move from the various security cameras.

They took a few breaths, they could hear the blood pulsating through their veins. A few minutes later, Sam spotted the silver SUV coming their way. Kensi drove like a mad woman, Callen was glad he wasn't in there. The thought of the motion sickness he often suffered at her hands made him queazy. But he was glad she was the one behind the wheel, they needed to get the driver of the van distracted so they could get out of there.

"Get out of my way," Kensi shouted and honked her horn.

"Go around me," The driver replied and motioned with his arm.

She honked again. "I want this spot, you're blocking it." Deeks moved silently as she distracted him, before the driver could react, Deeks punched him through his open window, knocking him unconscious.

Sam and Callen moved out towards the challenger. "Perfect timing."

"You guys okay?" Kensi's face became serious.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Anytime. You better get out of here, we'll wait for the others, LAPD have all exits blocked from the car park."

"Good move, unless they run on foot. Then we've lost them for good."

"You've got to get the thumb drive back to Ops."

"You take it," Callen decided. "We can wait out for our new friends." A smirk crossed his features.

"They won't suspect we've passed it on. We managed to get the intel uploaded, Eric and Nell was analysing it already."

"Good. Are you sure?"

Sam nodded. "Go. Get that thing out of here."

Kensi nodded and they both climbed back inside the SUV and drove off. Now the tracking device had been removed, it was safe for them to head back to the mission.

Sam and Callen waited on either side of the stairs for the three assailants. Deeks and Kensi had left five minutes before the three armed men arrived. The senior partners took them down in three swift moves. LAPD came and took the suspects into custody and headed off to the Boat Shed along with the driver whom Deeks knocked unconscious. He'd started to stir when the cuffs were locked onto his wrists.

"All in a good day's work," Callen smirked across to his partner.

"And it's only lunchtime." Sam's stomach groaned.

"Let's get something to eat from here before we head back. I'm starving."

"I thought you had Philipe cook for you all weekend?"

"We did. But breakfast was at five this morning. It feels like dinnertime." Sam nodded, it had been an exciting morning indeed.

Bronte sighed with relief when Callen and Sam arrived back to the mission. "Where have the two of you been? Deeks and Kensi have been back for over an hour."

"You missed me?" Callen stepped forward, but she held up her hands in defence.

"I saw you being chased, G. This isn't something to make light of. You should have issued an agent in distress call immediately."

"We were fine. Are fine. We got the bad guys didn't we?"

"This time. You need to come upstairs and look at what Eric and Nell have found on the thumb drive."

"That interesting?"

"Yes." They followed her up, Callen could see the strain on Bronte's face from that morning. Sam was right, perhaps it was better if Bronte and he didn't work on the same team. She'd only worry every time he was in danger. Her reaction when he returned was proof of that.

_A/N: Reviews welcome._


	13. Chapter 13

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

_Thanks for your reviews._

**Chapter 13**

They solved the case and arrested all involved in Wilkinson's death. The thumb drive revealed all the identities of the Chechen separatists who'd infiltrated the Marine Corp and their plans for a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Callen rubbed his temples, it had been a long day, but a successful one. It was seven, they were expected at Hetty's for dinner in an hour. "Bron, you ready to leave?"

She'd been quiet for the rest of the day which worried him. She nodded and switched off her laptop. She tried to avert his gaze when she grabbed her bag, but Callen stopped her.

"I'm sorry if I worried you today. It's the last thing I want to do."

Bronte shook her head. "No, G. I'm sorry I overreacted. I should trust you and Sam to know when you can handle something and when you need backup."

He pulled her in for a hug. "I'm not going anywhere, Bron." He breathed out in a whisper. He understood her fear of losing him, it was something he needed to adjust to, having someone care about him and that he really cared about too, to make sure he came home each night.

**_A month on_**

The next month flew by, word got out by the next day about their engagement and Hetty was in her element planning their wedding. Callen was nervous, he looked at Sam who only grinned like a cheshire cat back at him. "It's perfect to be nervous, G."

"I know, but what if she doesn't turn up?" He licked his lips from nerves and looked at himself in the mirror one more time.

"Philipe and Hetty would make sure she doesn't. Let alone what Abby would do to her if she bails out."

Callen took in a deep breath, he was certain Bronte had found the perfect bridesmaid dress for Abby in black. That was Abby's colour after all. He nodded his head, yes, if anyone could give Bronte the courage to go through marrying him today, it would be Abby.

**_Hetty's house_**

Bronte wiped her tears, it was a good thing waterproof makeup had been invented. She would look a mess if her tears had ruined all the hard work Abby had done with her already.

"You've got to stop crying, Bron, you'll have me in tears next." Abby sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her in for a hug. "You look beautiful, even before you put that stunning dress on. Callen's going to be knocked off his feet when he sees you."

Bronte sat in her lace underwear she'd bought for the occasion. She was sure Callen would love her in it, but she couldn't stop the tears.

"Callen's been through a lot, he's made it this far, he'll be fine." Abby understood her fear, she had helped her after losing Greg and Carrie. It was natural for her to feel this way.

Bronte nodded. "I know, but I can't stop worrying."

Suddenly she felt all hot and sweaty, she was sure it was just nerves. She ran to the bathroom and threw up the contents of her lunch into the toilet bowl. Feeling better, she washed her mouth out and took one look at herself in the mirror. They were going to have to redo her makeup. There was no way she was going to church looking like this.

**_Church_**

"They're late." Callen paced the floor of the church, their friends and family sat waiting for the bride to arrive. He looked and saw Hetty with Greg's parents. Max and Michael stood beside Sam and looked just as nervous as he did. He took one look at Max and he knew that there was no way Bronte would pull out and leave him hanging at the altar. Something must have happened. He was about to pull his cell out and call Bronte when he heard a car pull up outside. He went to take a look and sighed with relief when he saw Abby step out of the limousine. She saw him and shoed him away before Philipe helped his daughter out of the vehicle. Callen moved back inside the church and headed up the front to stand in his place. "They're here."

Sam gripped his shoulders, "you can relax now."

"Not yet." No, there was no way he could relax until he had Bronte as his wife.

The music changed and he turned. Abby walked down in a black satin dress that suited the goth perfectly, but at the same time it wasn't out of place at the wedding. A sleeveless dress with a large sash at the waist, the skirt flowed out like a tulip, stopping short of her knees. It was a simple dress with black pearls draped around her neck. Hetty's pearls, Callen noted. Then he spotted her. Until now, Abby and Philipe had blocked his view of her. She took his breath away. Her dress was a longer version of Abby's but in silver. Diamonds sparkled over the bodice and layers hung over each length of skirt.

She held long stem purple bearded irises in her hand as she held onto her Père for dear life. She was nervous and after giving a half smile to their guests, her smile grew when she saw him. Handsome in his tux, Gibbs and Sam did a good job ensuring he was dressed perfectly for the occasion.

"I love you," Callen immediately mouthed when she stood beside him."

"I love you too." Her eyes glistened but she managed to hold off the tears until the ceremony was over. Her ears buzzed, yet somehow she heard every word the minister said and Callen's vows to her. He was just as nervous, licking his lips every so often. She knew him well, his little traits that only those close to him were privilege to.

"I now pronounce you man and wife."

Callen moved in close and lifted her chin, wiping the stray tear that had escaped her eyes. "I will love you for the rest of my days." He captured her lips with his, deepening the kiss. He didn't care that everyone watched them, finally he had his guardian angel as his wife.

Cheers rang out through the church and the bells rang. Callen pulled away and gave her the biggest smile she'd ever seen on him. "Let's get out of here." They ran out of the church, their friends and family followed them and rained confetti all over them.

Max came up and wrapped his arms around his mother, he was so happy to see his mom happy again. "You can be happy again, mama." Max signed.

"We all can, sweetheart." Bronte returned and pulled him in for a hug. She looked over and coaxed Michael to join them. The boy sometimes felt out of things, but he was settling in better every day. "I know I'll never replace your mother, Michael. But if you want me to be your new mom, that's fine with me too."

Michael nodded, "I'd like that, Mom."

Tears spilled in both Bronte and Callen's eyes. They were a family now. Finally he had his family. It no longer mattered to him he had no idea where his father was, or that he only had the letter G for a name. It was who he was that mattered and who he had in his life that counted. The mixed matched family Hetty had given him in the team.

He looked over to Sam and Michelle with their kids, Aiden and Kamran and nodded to Sam. This is what Sam had wanted for him all this time. That piece of normal. He turned and looked at Deeks, his arm around Kensi's waist, his brow raised and said something to Bronte.

She looked and smiled, "about time."

Hetty walked over to them and hugged her daughter and son-in-law. "I've always seen you like a son, G." She said with a warm smile. "Welcome to the family."

"Thanks, Mom." Callen gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, he loved her like a mother for most of his life. She'd saved him and now he had a family thanks to her.

Hetty's eyes welled up, she turned and wiped them away before anyone thought she had gone soft in her retirement. Philipe on the other hand was only too pleased to display his affection for his daughter and new son-in-law.

The food for the reception was spectacular. Although Philipe was busy being father of the bride, he made sure he was involved in the planning and he individually chose each chef for the occasion.

It was hard saying goodbye to Max and Michael, but it was a comfort to know that their boys were in good hands staying one week with Hetty and Philipe, the other week with Greg's parents. Ron and Andrea Smith took Callen under their wings like a son, they were happy for Bronte to find love again, they knew only too well how much losing Greg and Carrie tore at her.

**_Santa Monica Airport_**

Callen pulled Bronte onto his lap as they waited for the private jet to take off. "Well, Mrs Callen. Where would you like to go first?"

She smiled cheekily over to him. "You sure you want me to answer that?"

"Anywhere you wish, my beautiful wife."

She thought he was teasing, but then she saw how serious he really was. "Anywhere? You sure?"

He nibbled on her ear and made her laugh.

"Okay." She whispered into his ear, he smiled, Hetty had been right with her assumptions. It had been a challenge to keep the destination for their honeymoon a secret from her. And right then she really thought she was in control. Truth be told, their private villa on the Island of Sicily waited for them. Nestled in the rocks off the west side of the beach in Casa De Franchis.

"Let's go." He lifted her off his lap and went to speak with the pilot. Their flight plan was already registered, but he needed to allude to Bronte she'd chosen their destination. It was a game he liked to play with her, he loved seeing her eyes light up. By the time they arrived on the Italian island, she would know for certain he'd arranged it all by himself. Well, with the help of Hetty of course.

**_Eleven hours later_**

The flight was long, they'd snoozed, ate, drank and chattered along the way. "Fancy hiring a yacht while we're there to cruise around?"

"Sounds wonderful." Bronte smiled and relaxed. This was perfect. She couldn't be happier right at that moment.

"I can see Sicily, it's around seven in the evening, perfect time to settle into somewhere for the night. He winked as he said it, she blushed. She knew exactly what he had on his mind, what newly married man didn't? They'd travelled direct from the wedding ceremony for the airport. She had to admit, she was nervous about their first night together as newlyweds. It wasn't like they hadn't done it before, but somehow the nerves refused to leave her.

The small jet landed smoothly on the tarmac and taxied over to a hanger. Waiting for them was a Jeep Wrangler. Bronte eyed him closely. "You planned this already, didn't you?"

He smirked. "This was hard keeping it from you, you have no idea. Once I found out from Hetty where you had always dreamed of going, I booked a private villa overlooking a beach for two weeks. But I wanted you to think you were choosing. Your eyes light up, when you smile and laugh, you take my breath away."

She captured his lips and kissed him firmly. "You are an amazing man, . I love you so much."

"You deserve to be happy. I wanted the very best for you."

"This must have cost you a fortune."

"Your parents helped out with the jet and the yacht. I had money saved for the villa."

"You're serious about the yacht?"

Callen smiled. "Of course." Hetty had told him how much she wished to travel the Mediterranean in a yacht. He was determined to fulfil her wishes.

_A/N: Reviews welcome_


	14. Chapter 14

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

**Chapter 14**

**_Sicily, Italy_**

The sky was as blue as Callen's eyes. Bronte stood on the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and she didn't want to move. Their time here had been more perfect than she could ever have envisioned. The villa nestled into the west end of the beach with the perfect view of the sandy cove that was only metres from their door.

She felt Callen's hands as they made contact with her skin and he rubbed her shoulders. She appreciated him working at the knots from hauling up the sail each day. He was a selfless man with a heart of gold. For the past two weeks she'd been asked what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go. Today was their last full day before they headed home. She shivered. Not from the cold, it had been warm into the seventies and eighties their whole time here. But from the effects from Callen's hands on her shoulders that roamed further afield.

"G." A moan escaped her throat. He lifted her up and carried her back to bed.

The sun had risen higher into the sky by the time they made it out of bed. They'd become lazy, but wasn't that what honeymoons were about? Once they returned to their life in Los Angeles, there'd be no time for luxuries like this. She was sad to say goodbye to the villa they'd called home for the past few weeks.

"I never thought I would suffer from sea sickness," Bronte furrowed her brow. "I never used to."

She'd thrown up every time they went out on the yacht, her face turned grey and he wanted to take her back to land. But she only shook her head, she loved it and she wasn't going to let a little sea sickness spoil their time out at sea. She only threw up the once and she felt much better afterwards.

"Don't feel bad, I get motion sickness from Kensi's driving." He saw the strange look she gave him. "What?"

"Oh. I was just thinking. You know I will have to split Deeks and Kensi up now that they're a couple, don't you?"

"Aah, no. As long as they prove that it won't affect them at work, I don't see why you need to split them up."

Fear clenched tight in his gut, there was no way he was giving Sam up as a partner. He couldn't face Kensi driving and the thought of having Deeks as his partner had him panicking.

"But if it does, I'll have no choice."

"Vance hasn't moved you out of our office to San Diego."

"But that's different. I'm not your partner."

"Were you and Greg ever partners?"

She nodded. "But once we became more than just work partners, our boss split us up."

Callen shook his head in protest. "There is no way I'm losing Sam as my partner. I'm alive today because of Sam."

Bronte furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Callen gulped. He was sure she'd seen his file, all of their files since she'd taken over from Hetty. "Sam is like a big teddy bear, he worries about me like you do. I need someone I can depend on, I trust Sam."

"And you don't trust Kensi or Deeks?"

"I ah…"

"You do but you don't want to admit it because if you do, then you can't prevent the inevitable."

"Deeks was your mother's idea to give Kensi a partner. They work well together. Just like Sam and I do. There's no way I'm agreeing to this as team leader."

She saw fear in his eyes. "Okay. I'll partner up with Deeks and Kensi can partner up with you and Sam. Problem solved."

Callen's eyes widened, "no way. No." He turned her back to face him. "There is no way you're going back into the field."

"Says who? I only came here to fill in for my mother. She retired and Vance offered me the position permanently so I could stay in L.A. with you. But I am a field agent. Surely you understand the need to be out there doing something good."

"You do something good everyday when you take care of your people, Bron." She turned away from him. "Bron."

He frowned, they were having their first marital fight and he hated it. But there was no way he was going to have Bronte back in the field.

"Bron." He caught up with her.

"I knew you would behave like this. I see it in your eyes and in my mother's when we dealt with the Formosa case. Both of you were thankful that I was office bound. But I can protect myself."

"I don't doubt that, Bron, but you've been through a great deal. Can't you understand that I want to protect you from getting hurt or abducted again?"

He'd revealed his greatest fear and it caught her off guard. She gripped the doorframe firmly as dizziness took over her. She ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents from her stomach into the toilet bowl.

"Bron, are you sure you're okay?" He stepped in behind her, she flushed the toilet and washed her mouth and face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I must have eaten something I reacted to."

"And every time we went sailing?"

"No, that was…" She furrowed her brow, she wasn't sure why that had happened.

"When did this start?"

She knitted her brows as she thought back. "The day of our wedding." Her eyes met his as the realisation hit her, a smirk crossed Callen's face but she shook her head. "No." She stepped back from him. "No. I can't be."

"Bron?" Callen looked at her worriedly.

"No. It must be the food."

"But I'm not sick." Callen reasoned. Excitement at the possibility burst inside of him. But her reaction worried him the most.

She pondered a moment, she wiped her brow and gripped the door to keep herself standing. She felt Callen's hands come around her to hold her up.

"Yes." He picked her up and carried her back to the bed. "You stay here, I'll fetch us breakfast."

She laid on the bed looking over the Mediterranean Sea, her eyes moist from tears. She couldn't face loving another child and then losing it. She'd lost too much, it was a huge feat for her to love again. To risk loving and losing him. He made her happy, but she couldn't go there again. She had a horrible history of being a mother. She looked to Michael as her other child she had with Callen instead. She had two sons, shouldn't that be enough?

She heard Callen's footsteps as he climbed the stairs to their villa and unlocked the door. Even in this location he was vigilant with security.

"I've got breakfast and this." He held up a paper bag, she frowned looking at it.

"What is it?" Puzzled she took it from him and looked quizzically at him. "It's in Italian. I can't read Italian."

Callen emptied the box with the pastries, placing them on plates and brought them over to the bed. "It say, pregnancy test."

She tensed and her hands shook. Callen sensed her worry, he sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "Do the test, Bron. If it turns out that you are, then we will know for sure. If you're not, then we'll put it down to an upset stomach to food and nerves."

"I can't…"

"I'm right here, take all the time you need." He gently pressed his lips on her forehead and released his hold on her. Bronte ran her hand through her hair and took in a deep breath. Her breathing was shaky, her nerves overwhelmed her. _What if she was?_ She dragged herself to the bathroom and locked the door. She sat on the toilet lid and stared at the box. She had no idea how long she sat there when Callen knocked on the door.

"Bron, are you okay?" Silence met him on the other side, he turned the handle, but the door remained locked.

"I'm fine, G. I just need some time."

"Okay."

He paced the bedroom, his muscles tense. He turned when he heard the bathroom door lock click. Bronte stood in the doorway, tears in her eyes. He moved swiftly over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's going to be okay, Bron."

"You don't know that, G."

"No one ever does. It takes faith to love someone. To risk your heart that they won't break it. That you won't lose them too early." He knew too well, he'd lost so much just like she had. Loving her had been much of a huge feat for him as it had been for her. "But what I do know is that we have been given this chance of a new life, our child and that is a beautiful thing." He brushed his lips on her temple and held her close. Bronte could hear his heart pound quickly inside his chest, hearing it comforted her.

"Let's take the yacht out one more time now you've already puked for the day."

She lifted her head up and looked lovingly into his eyes. "I love you, G. I'm sorry if I sound like I don't want this, I'm just scared."

He held her jaw tenderly in his rough hands."For good reason too, Bron. I get it. But I will do everything I can to make sure that our family remain safe."

"I know you will, G." He gently brushed his lips on hers.

"Okay. Let's go sailing." She gave him a smile, it reached her eyes and his heart missed a beat.

**_Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles - the next day_**

Sam, Kensi and Deeks looked up when Hetty entered the mission. She walked by them and headed immediately up the stairs to Ops.

"Was that just Hetty?" Deeks shifted for a better look.

"Who just walked past us without saying hi." Sam added.

"Something's not right." Kensi looked at the older woman until she disappeared from sight.

"No." Deeks and Sam agreed.

The three followed her up the stairs into the tech filled room. Eric and Nell looked their way with worried glances and quickly returned back to work. They looked up at the large screen, the Director of NCIS, Leon Vance, stood in MTAC in Washington D.C.

"Have we any word from Agent Gibbs' team yet, Leon?"

"Not as yet."

Sam looked to Nell and Eric for more information, he didn't like the look on their faces. He saw worry etched in Nell's brow, his chest tightened.

"Let me know. I'll send my team to help them."

"I'll let you debrief them, Hetty."

The screen went blank.

"Your team? You're back?" Deeks asked her in shock. His voice had an edge of worry to it.

Henrietta Lang took in a deep breath to keep herself strong. She turned and looked at what was left of her team. "Mr and Mrs Callen didn't make it to their jet last night. Two bodies were found at the villa after it exploded around noon. We're waiting for clarification if it was their villa and confirmation on the identities of the bodies." She kept her voice level, until everything was confirmed, she would keep going until she knew they were safe or…no, she couldn't think the worse. There was no way she would concede the loss of her daughter and son-in-law yet. "As soon as the pilot raised the alarm I called Vance and he sent Gibbs and his team immediately to Italy. You will be joining them in their search. Gear up." She dismissed them and headed for her old office. She knew it would be difficult for her to be there, her things had been replaced by her daughter's. This case was going to be difficult for all of them.

Back in Ops, Nell and Eric filled in the rest of what they knew. "Reports of an explosion was reported around noon yesterday, when the ground shook and large ball of flame exploded from a villa on the west end of the beach. Local police and fire brigade arrived on the scene, we're waiting on the identification of the two bodies found and if it was their villa."

"Is this where G and Bronte were staying for their honeymoon?" Sam's eyes studied the footage.

"Yes, in the same location. There is another villa slightly lower to the beach, but the authorities have yet to confirm if Callen and Bronte were staying in the other one. It's vacant and doesn't look like anyone has been staying there recently."

"G's good at covering their tracks, it wouldn't be hard for them to make it look like the place had been vacant."

"I agree, which is why we can't think the worse yet." Nell took in a ragged breath, her nerves were beginning to get the better of her. "They also had a yacht available to them, compliments of Philipe. There has been no trace of the yacht, the coast guard is looking for them as we speak."

"If the yacht was out at sea when the villa exploded, then they are okay." Sam relaxed slightly, although still very concerned for their safety just the same. "How far out could they have been if they had seen it." Sam knew he was asking a difficult question, but he needed to know facts to keep his mind from wondering the worst. No sign of the yacht, that was one hopeful sign. He take it until he had more to go on.

"They could have been as far north as Naples and seen the explosion, but they wouldn't have been able to figure out it was their villa from that distance, so…" Nell typed in her calculations, "they would have been as close as a mile out to have realised it was their villa."

"Have the local authorities determined yet if this isn't just a random gas leak?" Kensi stepped forward and looked at the images of the charred out villa.

"There was a gas bottle for a barbecue, but that wasn't the source, it came from underneath the villa itself. Explosives have been found at the scene. This was an intentional act of violence on either Callen or Bronte," Nell explained.

Sam heaved out a sigh, he didn't like the odds of either of their identities being burned. "Give us all you can find on who could be in Sicily and linked to old cases for both of them. Send it through to us on our flight." They were heading for Naples, Gibbs and his team thought it was safest to land there just in case Callen and Bronte had made it that far. Neither of their GPS trackers on their cells were working, they were either destroyed in the explosion or switched off for safety. He prayed they were safe. That was all that he needed.

_A/N: Reviews welcome._


	15. Chapter 15

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

**Chapter 15**

**_EUFO (NCIS Europe and Africa Field Office) - Naples, Italy_**

On any other case, Tony would have made some jest in their latest location. A reference to the classic 1969 movie, _The Italian Job_, would have been on top of his list. But now two of their own people's lives hung in the balance. Were they dead or alive, captured or hunted? They prayed they were alive, but if they were, they most probably were being hunted and the longer it took them to find them, the less likelihood they had of surviving without backup. The team worked without words, knowing this was killing their boss. He had managed to keep this news about Callen and Bronte quiet from Abby for now, but they would need her soon enough. Gibbs dreaded telling her. The team ignored Gibbs snapping at them, knowing just how close he was with Callen and Bronte.

The door to their temporary office opened, the large presence of Special Agent Sam Hanna was noted immediately, however, his sombre appearance fracture at their hearts. This was killing him too. The melancholy spread like wildfire when the disheartened Detective Deeks and Special Agent Kensi Blye walked in behind him.

Owen Granger nodded to them and cleared his throat. He'd been in Greece when Hetty called him, he'd made his own way to the Naples Office immediately. "I'm sorry, Sam, still no news."

Sam nodded and looked over to Gibbs, he noted the frustrations and grief bubbling under the surface when Gibbs slammed his hand down on a desk. Gibbs turned and looked at the former Navy SEAL.

"This is Callen, Gibbs. We both know how easy it can be for him to vanish like a ghost." Sam had been there before on previous occasions when Callen's identity had been burned. "He's the most paranoid man I've ever known, if something was wrong, he would have known and gotten himself and Bronte out of there."

"I'm counting on it," Gibbs was clip in his tone, but no one held it against him, this was personal.

"The local police say that there wasn't any evidence of anyone staying in the other villa, only the one that blew up." McGee read out the report that had been sent through to them.

"Callen would have been careful, even for their honeymoon. Has Hetty or Philipe confirmed anything about which villa and who they rented it through?" Gibbs asked them, hoping this was just a case of wrong place, wrong time scenario.

Sam continued to hold fast to his faith in his partner. "Hetty has been trying to find out the details, G held it very close to the chest on their destination. He wanted it to be a surprise for Bronte."

"Why would Callen come to Europe for their honeymoon, wouldn't it be too risky with all his previous operations to come here?" This was what had bothered Deeks the most since hearing the news.

"Sicily was the one place Bronte wanted to visit. She loves Italian food and she's dreamed of going there for as long as I've known her. Callen was just fulfilling her wishes as a surprise." Gibbs closed his laptop down and looked at both teams. "Blye, how's your Italian?"

"Perfecto."

"Good. You and DiNozzo fit the bill as locals, here's the keys to your ride, the address is in the glovebox for your destination. Keep a close watch, we need eyes and ears out as close to Casa De Franchis as possible. DiNozzo, you'll look for anyone who's familiar from Bronte's operations, Blye, the you'll do the same for Callen's."

Deeks looked over as his partner, he hated them being split up, but he had to agree it made perfect sense. DiNozzo and Kensi did look like locals, they could infiltrate the island of Sicily easily and not be suspected of being U.S. agents. "What do you want me to do?"

Gibbs looked at the Detective, "you and Bishop will be tourists. If anyone as much takes an interest in either of you, I want to hear about it." He looked at both new sets of partners. "Every hour on the hour I want a text or a phone call."

You'll be staying close to each other, if any of you recognise anyone, I want the parties who do to stay indoors and let your partners do the watching. Have I made myself clear?" He looked at their faces, they were torn up from the news, Callen and Bronte were loved by all of them. "We cannot afford for another villa to be blown up and have to go looking for you as well." They all understood exactly what Gibbs meant. It was bad enough having two of their people in danger or dead. They couldn't afford to risk anymore agents.

"Gibbs?" Sam looked to the older man with questioning eyes.

"You and I are going sailing. We have a yacht to find." Gibbs looked to McGee and Granger. "Are you okay to man the fort, be the point of contact for everyone while we leave?"

"Yeah, sure boss." McGee had his face glued to his laptop, trying to get whatever information the Naples office had so far on the Sicily case.

"Not a problem." Although Granger wanted to do more, it was probably best he stayed in charge there, where he could assist McGee with the intel.

Suddenly, Abby's face appeared on McGee's screen, "where is everyone? I come into work to find you're all gone, Leon won't say where."

Gibbs looked at McGee who looked up at him with fear. "Not a word," he mouthed to McGee. He walked out of the office with Sam, heading for the marina to find their yacht. His gut clenched tight, he prayed for good news soon.

"Vance has sent us on a case in Naples," McGee left it simple and as close to the truth as possible. "We should be back in a few days." He hoped with good news.

"Naples? Why there? They already have a few teams in Naples. What's going on? Is that Owen in the background?"

Tim's eyes widened at the mention of Granger. He looked to the Assistant Director for assistance.

"I called Gibbs' team to Naples, Abby. The teams here have a difficult case and I thought we could use the expertise of his team."

Abby nodded, but she narrowed her eyes. "That better be all." She signed off and heaved out a sigh. Something wasn't sitting right with her. She'd had a sleepless night and she woke up rattled. She just didn't know what. Coming in and finding the team gone with no word had her coming up with all sorts of assumptions.

**_Naples, Italy_**

"Where are we going to sail to?" Sam raised the sails while Gibbs steered the yacht out to sea.

"My guess is that they've headed for St Tropez."

"To Philipe's?"

"Yes." Now they were away from prying eyes and ears, it was safe to talk. "The yacht they have belongs to Philipe's son, Tristan. He's builds yachts for a living. They'll feel safe there and they'll be able to get word back to Hetty. Philipe has a satellite phone, Hetty gave it to him years ago for an emergency."

"Do you think G rented the villa from a friend?"

"It's possible. He has many contacts around Europe from his days in the CIA. I'm betting that's what he's done. Like you said, he's paranoid over security."

Sam nodded and looked out to sea, "what's our course?"

"Sardinia first. We'll look for them along the coast, then continue on the east side where it's more protected until we can cross for St Tropez. It will lengthen our journey but I believe that's the route Callen would take."

"You two have sailed a lot over the years."

"We have. The water soothes him from all his troubles. He feels free out on the water."

"Which is why he always stays close to a beach."

"Yeah." They sailed for hours, Gibbs enjoyed being back out on the water and Sam was good company. He didn't talk too much, but never left it too quiet either. Unlike DiNozzo who struggled to shut up and appreciate one's own thoughts.

**_Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles_**

Hetty stood in Ops talking to Leon Vance updating him on what they had managed to find so far.

"Miss Jones has found the villa belongs to a Mr John Smith. "

"Sounds like an alias."

"It is. The same alias Callen has used on their honeymoon. Mr and Mrs John Smith."

"You think Agent Callen owns the villa?"

"No. But I conclude that he knows the owner and chose the same name for his alias."

Leon heaved out a heavy breath. "To not pick up suspicion."

"Precisely. I'm thinking it's someone from his CIA days for that region. He's worked with people wide and far, Leon. It could be anyone. But my thoughts are lying with someone more local, who has the opportunity to travel frequently enough to Sicily."

"I'll ask the director of the CIA for his files."

"No need, I already have them."

Leon raised his brow, "don't tell me how you have them, Henrietta. Please find them as soon as possible."

His cell rang, he saw DiNozzo's id come up on screen.

"Agent DiNozzo."

"Director. Why are Petty Officers, Shaun O'Leary and Glendon Cary out of jail and acting like two drunks in Sicily?"

Shivers ran down Vance's spine at the mention of those two Petty Officers who killed Agent Jack Stevens seven months earlier. "What? Are you sure it's them?"

"Yes, Ellie's seen them too. We're both keeping out of sight and leaving it up to Kensi and Deeks to watch them."

"Good. I need to make a phone call to the DEA Director to find out what's going on. But I doubt they have anything to do with Callen and Bronte, neither worked on Operation Formosa."

"I thought the same thing, but Ellie says that when Cary and O'Leary were being taken into custody by the DEA, Bronte had arrived to see you and she was hugging Agent Nassir at the time. It's possible they recognised her and chose to make an attack on her to get to Agent Nassir."

Memories of the operation he'd kept close to his chest skittered across his mind like an old movie. "It's possible. You and Bishop stay out of sight and I'll speak to Owen about organising a local team to pick them up. If what you say is true, then we've found the culprits. We need proof though, Agent DiNozzo. Find the evidence that puts them at the scene of the villa before it blew up. Good work, I'll be in touch." Leon disconnected the call and looked back at Hetty who appeared much larger on screen than she did in life.

"Leon, what have you found?"

"Two Petter Officers who were arrested in Operation Formosa walking free in Sicily."

Hetty's gut clenched. The Formosa Cartel had caused so much hurt for Bronte already, she couldn't handle anyone related to that family hurting her daughter again. When would it stop?

"I've got some calls to make, Hetty. Get in contact with Agent Nassir and have him and his family taken to a safe house until I know it's safe."

"Will do, Leon." Hetty huffed when the screen went blank. She looked at her people. "Miss Jones, where is Agent Nassir?"

"He's on a job in Long Beach today."

"Call him back. Get in contact with Melissa, we need to get them to a safe house immediately."

"Will do."

**_Washington D.C._**

Leon made the call to the Director of the DEA and swore. "What do you mean you've released them? They killed one of my agents in cold blood. And they are suspects in a villa explosion in Sicily, where two of my people have recognised them close to the scene."

"I'm sorry, Leon. They made a deal. We needed the people higher up, so this wouldn't happen again. We can't have drug cartels using our people to ship their drung inside our borders like they did."

"I'm aware you needed to get higher up the chain, but they're dangerous. I now have to contact all my agents and have them taken into protective custody until we have O'Leary and Cary arrested." Anger burst through in his voice. He wasn't good at keeping his temper under control when he felt like he and his people were being screwed by another agency. "We're on the same side, I should have been told." He disconnected the call and turned to his list of men who'd risked their lives. Now he was about to turn their lives upside down again because of some deal the DEA made with the two Petty Officers.

**_Naples, Italy_**

Owen Granger looked at the intel Gibbs' team were calling in. It was a good thing Hetty had called Leon and had Gibbs' team come in on this. If it had just been left to the team at OSP, they would still be in the dark. But they needed proof. He looked at the camera feed in the Casa De Fanchis club where Blye and Deeks were currently, keeping a close watch on the two disgraced Petty Officers. If they were the ones who'd blown up the villa, he personally wanted to strangle ever ounce of breath out of them. His temper boiled as he paced the room.

McGee sat silently observing Granger and the video feeds. He was directing them back to Washington for the Director to watch first hand. He was glad Gibbs was out of contact, he knew how much Gibbs would be there in a flash and kill them both slowly. His boss' instincts about these two men were spot on, but when he heard how the DEA had mad a deal with them, his own anger surged through. How could they do it after what they did to Agent Jack Stevens? He was a good man and his death was senseless. These two men were cocky and they displayed this cockiness in the club. They hoped they could get them in their inebriated state to admit to their crimes. Then all they had to do is find Callen and Bronte, hopefully alive. It was Deeks turn to do his performance and hope he got their confession.

Cary and O'Leary were celebrating their victory. Not only had they been released after only six months in the brig, they had their revenge on one of the agents who had turned them in for their part in importing drugs into the country. They'd spotted the woman with some guy only three days earlier. Both had looked to each other and realised their opportunity. They, in their intoxicated state had gone up to her, but she showed no recognition in her eyes. A plan was born and they found the ingredients to make the explosives soon enough. They celebrated when they saw the villa explode. The delight in their eyes in killing the woman knowing that agent who'd gone undercover as one of them and deceived them, will get the message that he would be next.

"What's the celebration for boys?" Deeks slurred his words. Kensi sat at the other end of the bar watching Deeks' back. Deeks was good in acting drunk from his days undercover as a homeless man.

O'Leary and Cary looked at him and laughed. "We're celebrating because we got our revenge on someone who betrayed us."

"Boom," went O'Leary and Cary laughed all the more. Anger surged through the team as they saw first hand O'Leary and Cary digging their own grave. There was no way either man could make a deal now.

"What do you mean, boom?" Deeks rocked slightly as if he lost his balance. The more intoxicated he looked, the more he hoped these men talked. The music was loud around them, they had no idea Deeks wore a button cam and a mic to record their conversation. They were going down and Deeks was glad he was the one to get it out of him. For Callen and Bronte, he thought to himself. A sadness entered his heart, but he hid it from his two companions.

"This guy burned us to our government, we saw his lady friend in here the other night with a new fella."

"She didn't recognise us, but we followed them back to their villa and blew it up the next day."

"For real?" Deeks' eyes widened as he pretended he didn't know about the explosion or who they were.

"Yeah, man. For real." O'Leary moved his hands in the air to accentuate it.

"Move in and arrest them," Owen Granger ordered the NCIS teams waiting outside the club. They had the proof, it was time to take them in.

The doors smashed in, two NCIS teams from Naples entered and showed their badges. "NCIS. Tutti sul pavimento." (Everyone down on the floor) The team leader from one of the teams shouted out to the patrons to move to the floor, so no one would be caught in any crossfire if it came to it. The music stopped and all the patrons dropped to the floor immediately.

Deeks kneed O'Leary in the back and placed his hands in cuffs. Kensi walked over and did the same to Cary. "This woman and her guy are our friends. You are under arrest for the murders of two federal agents."

"What?" They realised they had been played. Deeks signalled to one of the local agents to take them from them before either he or Kensi killed them in front of over fifty witnesses.

"You okay, Marty?" Kensi looked to her partner with concern.

"I thought I would feel better inside taking them down."

"But you don't. I know. I'm the same. Until we find Callen and Bronte…"

"What if those bodies are them, Kens? How can we go on knowing that they were brutally killed unaware of the attack on them?"

She pulled him in and wrapped her arms around him. "I don't know." Her voice was barely a whisper. Then her head snapped up, "the yacht. Neither of them mentioned the yacht."

"Which means…"

"It can't be them." Hope returned to both of their eyes, they clung onto that glimmer of hope. Callen and Bronte can't be dead. They refused to accept it.

_A/N: Reviews Welcome_


	16. Chapter 16

**Operation Formosa**

**By BH72**

_Disclaimer: All events in this story are fiction and do not relate to anything that may happen on NCIS. The characters belong to Shane Brennan and CBS, I am thankful that I am able to borrow them until the next episode._

**Chapter 16**

**_Two days earlier, Casa De Franchis_**

Callen led Bronte down to the yacht for one last sail. It was sad to leave, but they missed their boys. He rowed the small boat to the yacht and helped Bronte onboard. "Me lady." He smirked, he loved spending every moment with her.

"Why, thank you, sire." Bronte put on a British accent for the little game they now played while he assisted her onboard their yacht one last time. She gave him a warm smile, he kissed her firmly on the lips and held her close.

"Let's get the sails up." She went to help him but he shook his head, "it's okay, I can do it."

"You're being stubborn, G. I'm pregnant not an invalid. Move over." She did as she had done everyday for the past two weeks and raised the sails. She revelled in the moment she hitched the sails up and the wind caught in them. There was something about the wind blowing through your hair and onto your face. Salt water splattered up onto the yacht, refreshing their warm bodies from the heat of the sun. They had barely gone a quarter of a mile, when a rumbling sound caught their attention. Callen turned and his face paled.

"What was that?" All colour left Bronte's face when she saw the villa with smoke billowing out. "G?" Fear replaced the peace in her eyes.

"It's not our villa, Bron. But we need to go back, grab our things incase it was meant for us."

"No. We can't."

"We have to." He turned the wheel around, the rudder shifted and the sail moved to the other side of the stern. They swiftly made their way back to the rocky outcrop near their villa.

"I'm coming with you," Bronte gripped his arm as he stepped into the row boat.

"No. You have our baby to think about now, Bron. I won't have you risk both of your lives. I'll be careful, slip in from the rear, no one will see me."

She watched on with anticipation, she felt the bile rise in her throat and leaned over the side and vomited. She hated this feeling, but she knew it was a good sign that the baby was strong and healthy. She hoped so. She couldn't face losing another child to leukaemia like she had Joshua. Nor to violence like she had Carrie. Callen was right, she moved below deck and waited, her eyes scanned the cabin looking for a weapon.

Callen moved like a ghost. He kept to the shadows of the cliffs and checked the perimeter for any dangers before entering the villa. They were already packed for their return flight home, one he knew they wouldn't be making. He grabbed their cells and shut them down, they couldn't afford to be traced, they needed to disappear. He wasn't sure how long before Hetty knew something was wrong, but he trusted his team to come to their rescue when they found out. At least it hadn't been their villa and they had been on the yacht. It unnerved him that this could happen so close to where they were staying. He collected all their rubbish and looked around the villa. The bed was made as if no one had slept in it, he knew it would be a week or so before the owner came to wash the sheets. The villa belonged to an old colleague he'd worked with in the CIA. He trusted him, but now his paranoia kicked in and he trusted no one outside his and Gibbs' team at NCIS. He picked up their bags and headed back down the steps, scanning the area as he quickly fled the scene. He threw their things and the rubbish bag into the boat and rowed around the cliff to a small cove where the yacht rocked steadily on the water. He sighed with relief when he saw Bronte's figure appear on deck. In a fraction of a moment, his heart thumped heavily inside his chest that something had happened to her.

"Pass it up, G." She leaned over and grabbed the rope, tying it up securely. He passed their bags up and threw the rubbish bag onto the deck.

"I've left it as we found it, no one will know we were ever there." He held her for a moment, taking in her scent of salt water and her shampoo. She was safe, they all were. He placed his hand on her belly, "let's go far away from this place."

"Where should we go?" She hoisted the sails up and he directed the boat in the direction he'd already determined.

"We'll go to your Père. We can find shelter and find a way to get word that we're okay." It made perfect sense to Bronte, she gave him an encouraging smile. "We can sail in close to Sardinia and Corsica before we cross to St Tropez. If we need to stop somewhere for food or shelter, it should be safe there."

"Sounds like you've thought a great deal about this already." She shouldn't have been surprised by his on the fly planning, it was one of his many talents she'd witness in OSP over the past year.

"I have. It makes perfect sense. We don't know who is after us or if they were even after us. But we can't afford to take that risk. Not in our line of work."

Her hand subconsciously moved to her stomach, for the first time she felt a slight bump there. It made her pregnancy real, she was further along than she'd realised. She rubbed it tenderly, hoping that the stress of the explosion didn't harm their baby.

The sails billowed in the wind, the wind calmed them both down as they headed north. They had a little food on board, but not a great deal. They would need to anchor beside one of the islands before nightfall and stay there the night. They weren't equipped to sail at night. She had no idea how long it would take them to do the journey. Her heart yearned for their children, she hoped that they would be okay until they made it home. Uncertainty returned for their future, when would their life be normal?

**_Cagliari, Sardinia_**

The open sea had been rough on Bronte. She'd puked too often, her colour had turned grey and Callen worried about her. Anything she'd eaten or drunk hadn't stayed down for long. Bronte looked ill. He pulled into the harbour in Cagliari, he'd pushed the yacht hard to get there as soon as possible. Bronte needed medical attention.

He carried her off the yacht, people at the marina looked at them with concern. A young man stepped forward and asked if he could help. Thankfully he spoke Italian and he could understand him.

"Sì. Graze." He followed the man to his truck, he climbed into the rear and held Bronte in his arms. "Ospedale." (hospital)

""Certamente." (of course) The man drove quickly to the local hospital and pulled up out front. He helped Callen lift Bronte off the truck and watched Callen carry her inside.

"Mia moglie è malata. Ha bisogno di aiuto, per favore." (My wife is sick. She needs help, please).

A nurse moved to assist him, she brought a wheelchair for Bronte. "How long has she been like this?" The nurse surprised him by speaking English, but neither Callen or Bronte looked Italian, her guess had been right.

"The past hour. We were sailing, she got sick and she's become dehydrated."

"Does she usually suffer this bad from sea sickness."

"No. We've just discovered this morning she's pregnant."

At the mention of Bronte's pregnancy, the nurse moved Bronte into a cubicle and attached a drip to her. "I'll do my best to find a doctor soon."

"Grazie."

Callen sat with her, holding her hand as she fell asleep on the bed. He was surprised when a doctor arrived within minutes of the nurse leaving.

"Hello, Mr Smith. My name is Dr Bonato. What can you tell me about your wife."

"We've been sailing for the past two weeks on short trips. She's been sick only the once and she's recovered quickly afterwards. But today she's been so ill, I've never seen her like this before."

"You told the nurse she doesn't suffer sea sickness, but she's been sick for the past two weeks?"

"Yes. We're newly married, I just took it for seasickness. But she only told me this morning she never suffered from it before. That's when I realised she was pregnant. I bought her a test and it came up positive."

The doctor nodded. "She's badly dehydrated. How much fluid has she had today?"

"Three bottles of water. Then we ran out."

The doctor studied him for a moment, "you look dehydrated yourself. I'll have the nurse bring you some hydralytes." He looked back to Bronte as she slept. "I'll organise an ultrasound for the morning so we can assess how your baby is going. She can't afford to get like this in her condition."

"I know, that's why I pushed our yacht to get here fast."

"Where have you come from?" He looked over at him worriedly.

"We've been sailing around the Mediterranean, but we were too far from land, here was the closest when she fell ill." Callen didn't want to give the doctor specifics, no one could know they were holidaying in Sicily, their lives depended on it.

Thankfully the doctor accepted his story. "You're not the first to stop here for medical assistance, Mr Smith. Both of you need to rest here for the night. I'll come by in the morning before I end my shift."

He was satisfied the woman would be fine now she was on a drip and resting. The husband was worried about her, especially now he knew she was with child. It always amused him when the husband became protective of their wives when they find out they're pregnant for the first time. They lose the worry when it comes to the second and so on, when they realise they're not fragile. But how ill the wife had become on the yacht did worry him. He would wait and see what the ultrasound showed up in the morning and when the blood works came back.

**_The next day_**

Bronte's eyes opened and she squinted at the light. The sun shone through the window, surprising her. She looked around, Callen laid asleep in the chair beside her. She realised she was in a hospital somewhere. But where? The last she remembered was being on the yacht. Then she remembered the explosion back on Sicily.

Callen shifted in the chair and felt eyes on him. He opened his eyes and saw Bronte awake. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Fine. Where are we?"

"Sardinia, in Cagliari. You were so ill and dehydrated. Someone helped me get you here."

She lifted her hand and looked at the drip. "Is the baby okay?" Worry for her child she'd only found out about the day before grew within her.

"The doctor is arranging for an ultrasound, we can see him or her today." He gave her a warm smile, he saw the worry in her eyes and he wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine.

"Good morning, Mr and Mrs Smith." Dr Bonato entered her room. He had her moved to a private room so she could rest in peace.

"How are you feeling today, Mia?" He looked to Bronte and noted her colour had returned.

"Better, thank you."

"Good. You gave us all a scare last night." He looked at his watch, "I have arranged for an ultrasound for you in an hour. Breakfast should be here soon. I expect you to eat all of it." He turned to Callen, "I've ordered a meal for you as well. You must be hungry after yesterday."

"I am, thank you."

"Good. The nurse will help you into a wheelchair to take you upstairs in fifty minutes. My shift ends soon, Dr Lanza will be taking over looking after you. She's a good doctor and a kind woman. You will feel comfortable with her."

"Thank you Dr Bonato."

He nodded and exited the room in search for a nurse to arrange the transportation of Mrs Smith to ultrasound. He needed to finish his rounds before his shift ended. It had been a long night and he was looking forward to going home to his wife and kids.

**_Radiology - an hour later_**

They were nervous when Bronte was wheeled into radiology. Seeing their baby would make it more real for them both. A first time experience for Callen, he missed this with Kristen because he had to vanish after his operation was complete. He'd never envisage he'd have a son out of it. But before Bronte entered his life, his short time with Kristen had been the most happy time for him, a piece of normal. Except he wasn't himself. He closed his eyes and thought of his son, Michael was just like him. He remembered Sam's words about another clone of him and Michael would be a good thing in the world. And he held onto that thought when the sonographer squirted gel onto the probe and moved it onto Bronte's stomach. He smiled over to her and held her hand as an image came up on the screen. He tried to make sense of what he saw, he knitted his brows in concentration.

"Beh, questa è una sorpresa."

"What is he saying?" Bronte looked to Callen for translation.

Callen's eyes widened at the sonographer's comment. "Well this is a surprise."

Bronte shifted her head for a better look, "what's wrong?"

The sonographer saw the concern in Bronte's eyes.

"Non c'è nulla di cui preoccuparsi."

"He said they're nothing to worry about."

"But he said…"

"Qual è la sorpresa?" (What is the surprise) Callen inquired of the sonographer, he didn't like worrying Bronte for nothing.

The sonographer turned and smiled. "Complimenti. Si hanno due gemelli."

"What is he saying?"

"He says," Callen's eyes widened at what the songrapher told him. "we're having twins." His lips widened into a broad grin.

"We're what?"

"Twins, my love." His heart swelled inside his chest. He leaned over and gave Bronte a kiss on the lips.

"Twins?"

"Sì." The sonographer showed them the two foetuses inside the womb and smiled warmly at her.

Bronte shook her head in disbelief. Shock spread over her features, but a smile formed gently on her lips. Twins. Excitement bubbled.

"So everything looks fine?"

"Sì. Tutto sembra buono per entrambi i vostri bambini . Sembrano essere di circa dieci settimane lungo."

Bronte looked to Callen for help in translation once more. She couldn't wait until they reached St Tropez where she understood the language.

"Everything is fine with both of our babies. He thinks you are ten weeks along."

"Ten weeks?"

Callen nodded. He smiled, he couldn't be happier. For that moment, the worry from Sicily had been forgotten. This was their moment meeting their babies for the first time. But later, the worry would return. He had even more to worry about. Not one baby, but two. A determination entered his heart to make sure Bronte took extra care of herself and that no one would hurt her or their babies. Ever.

_A/N: Reviews welcome._


	17. Chapter 17

Operation Formosa

_By BH72_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of NCIS Los Angeles or NCIS. They belong to the talented Mr Shane Brennan and CBS. I am thankful to be able to borrow them for this story._

_A/N: Thanks for reading and for the reviews. This is the last chapter._

**Chapter 17 **

_**Cagliari, Sardinia - two days later**_

It would be another day before the doctor would release Bronte from the hospital. He was still very concerned over her sailing again.

"I understand your need for continuing on your journey, Mr Smith. But after how ill your wife fell the other day, we don't want to cause any further stress on your wife or your babies."

"I assure you, Dr Bonato, the last thing I wish to place on my wife or on our babies is any stress or risk to their health. But we arrived by boat and I need to make other arrangements if we cannot return our yacht to my father-in-law."

"Where does your father-in-law live?"

Callen didn't want to tell the doctor too much, "about a day's worth of sailing."

"Which is?" Dr Bonato looked at him sceptically. He furrowed his brow, "what are you hiding?"

"Look, Dr Bonato, I know you mean well, but I am not in a habit of telling strangers our business. We aren't hiding from anything or anyone. We just want to get back to my father-in-law's. My wife will be well looked after by family."

The doctor studied Callen for a moment. Fortunately for him, he managed to hide the worry about the threat on their lives. He'd read in the paper about the bombing, two people's bodies had been found inside the villa. The authorities were still ascertaining their identities. It was suspected to be a honeymoon couple from the U.S. Reading that detail had sent shivers down his spine. By now everyone back home would think the worst. He needed to get to Philipe to contact Hetty ASAP. Their delay was causing him some concern. He couldn't have Michael or Max think they were dead. If Bronte knew anything about what he'd read, she would be beside herself.

"We have an airport on the island, I suggest you make arrangements for the yacht and fly to your father-in-law."

The thought had crossed Callen's mind. He nodded. "I agree."

_**Nearby**_

Another yacht arrived into the marina for the night. The two occupants tied it up to the jetty and jumped onto the wooden platform. The larger of the two stood tall and stretched out his muscles.

"What was the name of the yacht G and Bronte were travelling on?"

"Philipe said it was called the Amèlie."

Sam scanned the marina, his dimples deepened when he found it. "Over there."

Gibbs looked into the direction Sam pointed to and nodded. His body relaxed, they had to be there. "Let's see if we can find them."

They walked over to the jetty where Callen had moored the yacht in his haste to take Bronte to the hospital. "No one's here." Gibbs scanned the area and spotted a young man take an interest in them. He walked over to him. "Some friends of ours arrived here a few days ago on this yacht. Have you seen them?" He spoke in perfect Italian and the young man nodded.

"Sì." He explained about the wife being ill and taking them to the local hospital. He offered to take them there. Gibbs accepted.

Worry for Bronte etched in both men's eyes, they thanked the local and gave him some money for his time and fuel. They entered the hospital and looked around to see where they needed to go. They knew Calllen and Bronte had travelled on aliases, they hoped they were using the same ones Hetty provided them.

"Mi scusi. (excuse me)

The woman at the front desk looked up and smiled at them. "Posso aiutarla?" (May I help you?)

"Sì. Siamo alla ricerca di alcuni amici, la moglie è stata portata qui a pochi giorni fa." (We are looking for some friends, the wife she was brought here a few days ago.) John and Mia Smith.

The woman nodded and she quickly looked on the computer system. "Sì. La signora Smith si trova al terzo piano nella stanza 308." (Mrs Smith is on the third floor in room 308)

"Grazie." Gibbs turned to the elevator and pressed the button.

"It's a good thing you at least know the language. I never had the need to learn Italian, but after this trip, I think I'll put it on my list of courses." Sam shuffled in behind Gibbs just before the door shut on him.

"It comes in good use now and then. Although I never understood why Callen knew Romani back when I worked with him. His Russian is flawless and I have to admit, I was surprised by how many languages he knows."

"But you know now why he knows Romani don't you?"

"He told me, however, he learned it before he remembered. Perhaps he picked it up from Hetty along the way."

"I never knew until recently just how much Hetty had saved him."

"He told you?" Gibbs raised his brow, "that's big for Callen to admit his dark teenage years to anyone. It took a case that was too close to his own story to make me realise how personal it was to him."

The doors opened and they stepped out, looking for room 308.

"Same here. Partners for almost ten years before he told me. He tried to help a kid who got caught up with the wrong crowd in jail, but the kid made his choice."

"What happened to him?"

"He died."

"How did Callen take that?"

"Not well. He tied to save him, but it the chance to help him was taken from him when an FBI Agent took the kid's life to protect G."

"Did the kid have a gun pointed at Callen?"

"Yep."

"Typical Callen. He would do what it took to pay it forward. Do something good because Hetty taken a chance on him and turned his life around for the better."

"You know I can hear you?" Callen appeared from behind the doorway, relief spread across his face. "Boy am I glad to see you two."

"Not as much as we are. Are you both okay?" Gibbs and Sam greeted him with hugs before stepping back. They observed him for a moment, "no burn marks on you or," Gibbs hesitated, "how's Bron?"

"She's better now. She got dehydrated from our journey here, she couldn't keep anything down. I got so worried about her."

They saw the worry in his eyes.

"So you heard about the explosion then?" Sam inquired.

He saw it in their eyes, they thought something bad had happened to them. "I read something in the paper about two bodies inside that villa? I can't remember seeing anyone in there when we were nearby."

"So it wasn't your villa then?" Sam furrowed his brow, he was still in shock to see his partner alive and well.

"No. We had headed out on the yacht for one last sail before we made our way to the airport. We'd hardly moved from the island when we heard the rumble and when we turned…"

They saw the fear in his eyes.

"Do you know who it is that's after us?"

"No. But we've been dark since we left Naples." Gibbs peeped his head around the corner and spotted Bronte fast asleep. "I've never seen Bronte suffer from seasickness before. In all the years I've taken her out on my boat, she's been fine."

"That's what she said. But every day since we've been here, she's been sick once and then felt better. But the other day she was real bad. I'm not sure if the stress of seeing the villa explode set her off, but she was grey before we arrived here."

"She's been through a lot, fear could unsettle her stomach, but every day?" Gibbs raised his brow, surprised.

A smirk formed on Callen's lips, "yep."

Sam narrowed his eyes at his partner, "you're kidding. Really?" His dimple deepened as he pulled his partner in for a hug. "Well this is a wonderful surprise."

Gibbs gave Sam a quizzical expression, he looked back at Bronte and realisation hit him. A smile formed and he gave Callen a hug. "Congratulations, Callen. I'm happy for the both of you." He turned his attention back to Bronte, he hoped her having another child after the two she'd lost would help her heal. "How's Bronte dealing with the news?"

"Freaked out of course. I figured it out when she said she never suffered from seasickness before. I asked her when it started, apparently it began on our wedding day, which is why she was late to the church."

"See, I told you, you had nothing to worry about, G."

"But I do. We can't continue by yacht to Philipe's. Bronte's not up to it. We can' risk her getting sick again like she did. It's not good on her or our babies."

"Huh!" Sam looked at Callen funny. "Did you just say babies?"

Callen mentally head slapped himself for the slip. "Oh, I've got to stop thinking babies or everyone's going to know."

Sam chuckled. "Well that would explain why she's so sick. Oh you're in for a double shock."

"Thanks, Sam. Just what I need." His expression returned serious. "I can't let anything happen to them. I need to get her to family soon. They'll take care of her until she's up to flying home. " He looked to Gibbs. "I'm worried about Michael and Max thinking the worse. Is there any way we can contact Greg's parents to let them know we're okay?"

"Yes. We have a laptop and a satellite phone on the yacht. We'll fetch it and bring it back. You and Bronte can Skype with the boys, that way they'll know you're both okay. And I can let Granger know we've found you."

"Granger headed the search party for the two of you coming here?"

"Both our teams are here, G." Sam replied. "Kensi's paired up with DiNozzo pretending to be locals, Deeks and Bishop as tourists. They've gone down to Sicily to find out anything behind what's happened. McGee and Granger are at EURO in Naples overseeing it all."

"Hetty must be beside herself."

"Hetty's come back to OSP until the two of you are back."

"She's what?" The three men turned and looked at Bronte, she'd just woken up and heard the last bit.

"Hey, Bron. How are you feeling?" Gibbs walked over to her.

"G told you?"

"We worked it out when he told us you were so ill on the yacht. So unlike you." Gibbs smiled and leaned over to wrap her up in his arms. "So glad you're okay. You had us worried."

Her eyes darted to Callen's. "You told them didn't you?"

"It slipped."

A smile hinted at the edges of her lips, "can you believe we're having twins?"

"It's wonderful news, Bron." Gibbs squeezed her hand softly. "Just what you need after all you've been through."

"The best news we've had all week," Sam added.

"So what's this I hear about my mother coming back to OSP?"

"Only temporarily until you get back. She called Leon as soon as you two didn't show up for your flight home."

"Max and Michael, they must be worried."

"It's okay. We'll get the laptop we've got with us back in the yacht and we'll get you connected to Skype them. They'll be happy to see you're okay."

"Thanks, Jethro, Sam. Seeing the two of you is a relief after seeing that villa explode. G was determined to go back and get our things before we left.

"Which would explain why we all thought…" Gibbs saw the look on Callen's face and stopped in his track.

"Thought what Jethro?" Bronte gave him the gorgon stare.

Callen glared at Gibbs, he'd worked hard to keep Bronte from worrying.

"That you had left the scene on the yacht, which is why Sam and I have managed to find you so quickly." He tilted his head slightly, he was pleased with his quick come back.

Callen heaved out a sigh, it was a close call.

Bronte narrowed her eyes, "you'll keep."

**_Los Angeles_**

Andrea Smith was surprised to find Hetty at the door with worry in her eyes.

"Hetty, what's the matter?"

Henrietta took in a ragged breath, "I have some bad news, Andrea."

"Please come in." She closed the door, worry for the smaller woman grew within her. "Would you like a drink of tea?"

"Yes, thank you." She followed Andrea through to the kitchen.

"Where are the boys?"

"They're in the back room on Skype with Bronte and Callen."

Her head snapped up in shock, "they are?" Relief washed through her. They were okay.

"You sure you're okay, Hetty?"

She sat in the chair and took in some breaths to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry to bother you, Andrea. We've been worried about Bronte and Callen. They didn't arrive for their return flight and bad news came through about an explosion near where they were staying."

"You poor thing, you've must have been out of your mind with worry. You should have called us."

She nodded, "perhaps I should have. I didn't want the boys to worry."

"Which is why they're on Skype now with them, worried they would be worrying about them."

Hetty nodded. "Yes."

Her cell vibrated, she picked it up. "Henrietta Lange."

"Hetty, we've found them safe." She could hear Gibbs' voice on the other end.

"Thank you, Jethro. I've just arrived at Ron and Andrea's, she's just informed me about Bronte and Callen Skyping the boys."

"Good. They were worried about how you were dealing with everything. They're fine. We're going to head to Philipe's with them for a few days before heading back. Any word from Owen ?"

"Yes. You're not going to like it, Jethro."

The hairs stood up on the back of his neck. "What have they found?"

"Not what, who. Two drunk Petty Officers you've came across seven months ago. Cary and O'Leary."

"What the hell are they doing in Sicily? They should be locked up." Anger surged through him. He knew how evil these men were, especially after the vicious attack on Jack Stevens.

"Apparently the DEA made a deal with them, they were released a month ago. Your man, DiNozzo recognised them and called it in. Detective Deeks and Agent Blye went in to catch them out. Mr Deeks managed to get them to tell him what they were celebrating for. They were too drunk to realise they'd been played. Owen sent two local teams to arrest them. It's all clear for Bronte and Callen to come home when they're ready."

Leroy Jethro Gibbs smiled and nodded. Relief washed through him. They were safe. "They'll be pleased to hear that, Hetty. Thanks for the good news."

He looked over at Sam who'd watched him closely through the call. "They found who blew up the villa. Some Petty Officers we'd dealt with were bragging about it. Your detective got them to spill and they've been arrested."

"But why the attack on Bronte and Callen?"

"Not sure." He furrowed his brow for a moment trying to connect the dots. His eyes widened. "Bronte came to D.C. to see Leon. She was in the office when they were taken away by the DEA. They were after Mick after they killed the onboard NCIS agent. They must have seen her with Mick and saw an opportunity to get to him. I better call McGee for an update. Don't say anything yet to Callen or Bronte."

Sam nodded. "Sure."

Gibbs walked away frustrated that someone linked with the Formosa cartel was still haunting Bronte. She couldn't know about this in her condition. But how was he going to spill it to her that the people behind it were arrested without causing stress on her? He needed a coffee so he could think. He pressed the button on the elevator and left on a hunt for a caffeine fix.

_**St Tropez - five days later**_

I know you're hiding something from me, Jethro." Bronte sat in the chair looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. The break in Cagliari and now with her father's family did her good. Philipe's family adored Bronte and they always welcomed her into the family whenever she visited. They'd pampered her once they heard how ill she got from sailing and when they heard about her pregnancy, well, Philipe was walking on air after that.

They were staying for another two days before heading home. Director Vance wanted to see them before they went home to Los Angeles.

"You know me, Bron, my head's full of secrets. And I plan on taking each of them to the grave with me." He laughed when she scowled.

"You need family in your life, Jethro, to mellow you again. I know you've tried after losing Shannon and Kelly, but look at me. Look at how happy G makes me. Max and Michael are happy after losing loved ones too." She gently squeezed his hand. "You're too young and handsome to die alone with all those secrets."

She smiled at him, her face glowed from her pregnancy and her skin was kissed by the sun. She looked much healthier than she had the week before.

"Well now, the last chance I had of giving it ago has been snatched up by a good friend and now she's knocked up. What hope do I have?" He smiled warmly over to her. "I'm happy for you, Bron. You and Callen are good together. You'll be good parents to your babies, just like you are to Max and Michael." He was doing what he could to detour the subject away from what she'd started with. He saw Callen's determination to protect Bronte from the reality of what had gone down. So much like Mick, Gibbs mused.

A tear escaped her eyes, "Jethro. I wish you could have some more happy memories."

"I know you do. And I do. The team are my kids now."

She laughed. "You like that, don't you? Being father to DiNozzo, Abby, McGee and now Bishop."

He nodded, "I do."

She understood him well, he was happy and content. She closed her eyes and fell asleep under the shade umbrella by the water. She could hear the motor from boats roaring in the distance, as their occupants enjoyed the warm weather and clear blue water.

Cold wet hands brought her back to consciousness with the shock on her shoulders. "G!"

He smirked down at her. "You look like my guardian angel lying there like that. I couldn't help myself."

She swatted at him, but he was quick. "You'll keep."

"I'm planning on it." He sat beside her in the chair Gibbs vacated a while earlier.

"How's the water?"

"Beautiful. But not the same without you."

"I wish I could. Next time we fly out here, we'll bring the boys and our babies and have a family holiday right here. Then I can go out sailing with you and not have to deal with getting sick."

"It's a date." He captured her lips, "I can't wait." No he couldn't wait. He dreamed of the six of them playing on the beach, building sandcastles and flying kites.

The End!

_A/N: Love to know what you thought of this story, please leave a review._


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